


Halyein

by Seiyofira



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Dark, Grief/Mourning, Hallucinations, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Post-Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions, Suicide Attempt, YGO Big Bang 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:20:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 29
Words: 76,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25981978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seiyofira/pseuds/Seiyofira
Summary: Triggered by the last wordless encounter after enduring months in his own personal hell without Atem, Yuugi decides that he is ready to give up. His mental stability continues to deteriorate, and even the care of his friends can not make him feel any better. When his grandfather’s health is teetering on a knife’s edge, Yuugi, trapped in his own delusional mind, makes an important decision that might change his life forever.Meanwhile, Seto made his way to the afterlife to challenge the ancient Pharaoh, not expecting the imminent appearance of a god to ask him for a special kind of duel with life-threatening consequences. Losing it would mean losing everything.Could this duel be Atem’s only way out of the afterlife? And what if he is too late to save his aibou?
Relationships: Atem/Mutou Yuugi, Bakura Ryou/Marik Ishtar, Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Comments: 93
Kudos: 51
Collections: Yu-Gi-Oh! Big Bang 2020





	1. I: Memories of Pain & Collective Worries

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone :).
> 
> Please make sure to check out the  amazing pieces of art  done for Halyein!
> 
>  **Artist I:** [MiriamDelirium](https://miriamdeliriumart.tumblr.com/)  
> Link to art: [Click me](https://miriamdeliriumart.tumblr.com/post/626984773132386304/its-here-my-official-ygo-bb-piece) !
> 
>  **Artist II:** [originfire](https://gx5ds.tumblr.com/)  
> Link to art: [Click me](https://gx5ds.tumblr.com/post/628076564104527872/my-work-for-the-ygobigbang-inspired-by) !
> 
> Welcome to my Yu-Gi-Oh! Big Bang 2020 story :).
> 
> I challenged myself to partake out of a hot damn impulse, but here we are anyway!
> 
> Thanks everyone for being a part of this <3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the first big chapter <3!
> 
> Please, enjoy the ride :)

**Memories of Pain**

Though it hasn't been long since I last saw you, the time without you weighs on me like I've existed through an eternity. Seeing you again was wild, and I can barely remember the details around it. I was duelling Diva, or more accurately, Diva-Zorc. I tried so hard to save everyone. Kaiba sacrificed himself for me, making me have to fight alone and push through it. Despite feeling rather confident and remembering what you taught me about always pushing on, I somehow was still losing. I didn’t want to give up, but a darkness within my heart consumed me, causing me to nearly pass out. Then I saw that beaming yellow-golden light. I felt my soul being pushed slightly aside, but not cast outside, and we were united again. The warm feeling, the reunion... it was so bittersweet. Memories go foggy and blurry of what you did exactly, but the next thing I remember was you standing there, staring at me, smiling slightly. A warm shimmering light surrounded you, and I nodded at you with a fake smile and determination in my eyes. Then I saw it. You hesitated to touch the puzzle. Was it because you saw past my facade? Past all the pain that had accumulated each day without you? Before Aigami Diva terrorized Domino City, I was getting better and better at lying to everybody, even Jonouchi. Being able to say that I simply miss you without breaking down on the spot felt good. Much better than telling the truth that missing you tears me to shreds that can’t be salvaged anymore. But it also felt bad. 

Little did they know, after you went back to the afterlife because I won that stupid ceremonial duel, I didn’t expect to be hit by harsh reality in this way. Shortly after we came back to Domino City, I started becoming unstable and my mind started playing tricks on me. I researched a lot online, and thought that maybe it could be some kind of trauma-induced psychosis, though I’m not sure if that is even a thing. I started dissociating, watching everything from afar and sometimes just – functioning – while deep inside I felt like an anchor was weighing my whole life energy down. Kaiba showing up and going on about the puzzle made months of work crumble. To tell him that I didn’t feel you in the puzzle and that you’re gone... it almost tore me apart, but I wanted to believe it for good, so that maybe one day even I could get over you. 

After everything came back to so-called normalcy, Kaiba suddenly disappeared for a couple of days. No one knows where he had gone or what he was doing. He told me farewell after the tournament, and I can’t really wrap my head around why. I tried contacting him several times but he seemed to vanish from this world.

Now, that I have seen you again, standing there, piercing through me with that firm look you have, I realized yet again why it hurt so bad to let you go. Even though we share a very similar haircut, you look so different. Even more different than in memory world. The incredibly short time I looked at you while you glanced at me like not one minute had passed, and yet, an eternity laid between our separation. You went away too soon, and you promised me…

You promised…

How am I supposed to act normal again now? My mum is gone, visiting dad on his business trip to Europe. Grandpa is probably worried because if anyone noticed that I had changed, no matter how hard I tried to hide it, he would. Why is it so hard to get over you, to cherish our time we had and be happy knowing that you’re where you belong? Is it selfish? I can’t help it, I keep spiralling downwards. I keep seeing things that aren’t there, and this ever present emptiness eats me inside out... I jus – 

“Yuugi? Are you alright? You have been showering for quite a long time.” I almost jumped at the gentle knock and the sound of grandpa’s voice. 

“Yeah, I’m fine, just a bit sore from exercising with Jonouchi the other day! They say warm water helps you relax your muscles.” 

I thought I heard a thoughtful humming noise from grandfather and some incoherent mumbles. Little did he know, I had not entered the shower at all. I was sitting on the bathroom floor with my bittersweet poison. 

A razor blade. 

Sure, I mentioned I didn't feel as well as I could have a few times before, but I never could tell anyone the whole truth. There were scars and cuts, older and fresher, covering my thighs. The freshest one is just a couple of minutes old, red dots of blood forming along the little cuts. 

After another moment I decided to take a quick necessary shower and dressed in dark sweatpants that would cover the blood if any seeped through. I rolled my sweatpants up a bit since they were (as usual) too long, put on a light grey shirt and waddled into the kitchen, unable to process if I actually felt something or if everything was just numb and empty inside of me.

Upon arriving, I saw that Gramps was sitting there, whistling happily, trying to forcefully close a suitcase. When he noticed me, he must have seen my puzzled expression and reminded me, “Yuugi, I hope you didn’t forget. I planned another trip with Arthur. We will be going to an exhibition in northern Japan. You know, they brought over ancient artifacts and historical items from China. Maybe I can bring one along for you, if you’d –“

I raised my hand to interrupt. “Gramps, I really appreciate your effort, but I think I am fairly done with weird artifacts.” 

His bothered gaze scanned me from top to bottom, and that concern in Sugoroku’s eyes did not go unnoticed. Then his gaze softened, and he gave me his signature bright and cheery smile and grabbed his suitcase, leading to its inevitable topple, and my grandfather clumsily falling with it.

“Grampa, holy! Are you alright?” I asked, almost jumping over the suitcase to help him up. He waved his hands to tell me that all is good, got up and straightened his back, resulting in a very loud and painful sounding _CRACK_ . By the look in his eyes during said _CRACK_ , it must have been indeed quite painful. He then groaned something between the lines of “I’m fine” and “It’s just the age kicking in.”

From the corner of my eye, I noticed the train tickets for Arthur and him. The departure was due in a couple of hours. Asking myself why they would take such a late train, I just brushed it off as an ‘old people travelling’ thing. Naturally, after the infamous _CRACK_ , I helped Gramps carry the suitcase down the stairs - why was it so heavy? - and waited with him until Arthur arrived. I promised I’d be careful and call mum and him each day to fill them in about the shop and myself.

“Be careful Yuugi, and take good care of the shop!” I nodded, trying to smile for him. Arthur waved a goodbye and, just like that, they were gone. I decided to eat some instant ramen and watch some TV just to pass the time. 

The next day I forgot to eat, drink, and I barely slept the night before due to a constant ringing in my ears. Exhausted, I wandered around in the house, tidied some parts of the shop that looked like they never have been touched and just tried to struggle through the day. Intrusive thoughts about the past and about traumatic experiences tried to crawl up into my brain, but green tea and cleaning contained my emotional breakdown. I even managed to text my mum and gramps, though neither of them bothered to answer.

Flopping down onto my bed feeling rather tense and unbalanced, I prepared to fall asleep. A last look around my room before turning off the light startled me. I saw white and golden pyramids coming out of the walls. They were just there, not moving. Wondering how I could see something this unnatural without freaking out and then proceeding to wonder if they were actually real or not, I told myself that it must be illusions because I was so tired. The pyramids did not go away even after I closed my eyes. Hours later, I finally managed to fall asleep.

* * *

**Collective Worries**

“So, Anzu, how come you only invited me, Honda, Ryou and Otogi here but not Yuug’? We sure all want to know how you arrived and everything!” Jonouchi’s voice and accent were unmistakably noticeable in the round of friends sitting at Burger World. 

All of them were huddled in front of a laptop, looking at Anzu’s slightly pixelated face because her internet connection seemed a bit wonky in the States. Anzu looked at each of them with a worried expression, not quite facing them eye-to-eye but more with a slight embarrassment that spread across her face. Ryou nodded, as if he understood what she was trying to go on about, but he refrained from saying anything until Anzu started speaking. 

They had texted after all about this topic, and it was the two of them that decided to call this ‘group-meeting-call-but-excluding-Yuugi’ thing. Honda sat in an unusual manner and just stared at the menu, clearly avoiding any eye contact. Otogi played with his dice earring and looked around, not knowing whether he should comment on Jonouchi’s statement. Anzu glanced quickly to something out of frame and started fumbling with her sleeves. She wasn’t comfortable addressing things like that, but this was about her friend’s health, so she wanted to talk about it - and she wasn’t shy about laying down her thoughts in front of her friends of whom she went through a lot with.

Anzu cleared her throat, searching for the right words to get her point across to the others, strategically considering every answer she could get.

“I don’t know if I am just being in some sort of ‘overly-worried Anzu mode’, as you all jokingly call it.” She had not even brought forth any other thought but had already got each and everyone’s undivided attention. They knew to not mess around when Anzu spoke in that confident, yet worried tone. Even Jonouchi, who seconds ago wanted to complain that his best bud Yuug’ wasn’t invited (Anzu did not tell Jonouchi in advance so he would not be able to speak to Yuugi about it), just stared at her with the expression of a knowing-but-avoiding the topic kind of look. Ryou shifted in his seat, uncomfortable about the tension that Anzu’s sentence brought down upon them.

“So, as you all know,” Anzu began with slight hesitation and a tiny tremble in her voice, “some stuff that we are way too familiar with happened a short while ago. Did you guys notice any change in Yuugi’s behaviour, after he seemingly saw... Atem again?”

Anzu swallowed hard saying the dead Pharaoh’s name, for it was sometimes painful for her to remember that he left the world for good and way too soon. She felt grief like any person would after losing a close friend, but also relief that the Pharaoh could finally rest. They all felt sad, but it hit Yuugi especially hard (and probably Kaiba, but more his pride than his stone cold heart) and they had to take a well-earned break from everything after they came back from Egypt to sort of mourn, but also to celebrate. It was a paradox scenario, bittersweet grief and joy all at once.

The waitress interrupted the depressing silence that hung between the group and no one dared to begin to answer if they did notice a change or not. After having Jonouchi and Honda’s orders taken, the waitress left and Anzu, from the other side of the screen, sought answers in her friend’s faces. They still avoided direct eye-contact, but Ryou was the first to speak up.

“I don’t know Anzu, I think I noticed Yuugi being kind of different a while ago. It may just be my imagination,” his fragile voice searched for the right way to say things, “but ever since Atem left, after the ceremonial duel, I don’t think Yuugi ever really recovered.” The last words were more of a whisper than a statement and insecurity nestled itself into Ryou’s mind. He was, after all, also rather traumatized by his past. 

Honda let out a sigh and Otogi lowered his eyes. 

The corners of Jonouchi’s mouth twitched. “You know what’s the matter? You all just want to see bad things in Yuugi sometimes. He grew so much with Atem, and he even got stronger when Atem left – did y’all see with how much self-confidence he held that speech at our graduation? You heard him when he said he misses Atem, and heck, we all do, but that doesn’t mean he is not Yuug’ anymore, would you jus-“ 

“Can you cut the crap for a second man?” Honda harshly hissed in Jonouchi’s direction, leaving him startled with wide eyes. “You out of all people should notice that something is off with Yuugi! It always feels like he’s okay, he’s fine, it’s almost like he’s playing a show on stage, man. He’s wearing such thick armor and he barely let’s anyone near when the topic changes to Egypt and stuff like that!”

Another heavy sigh came out of Honda’s mouth and he leaned back, crossing his hands behind his head and looking up. Anzu stared at the two ‘bros’ in slight shock. She wasn’t used to them having an actual, solely verbal disagreement. 

“Believe me,” Ryou’s faint voice almost squeaked, “I asked Yuugi about it, I asked him if he was okay after all that happened. Most of us did, it’s only natural to worry about your friend if that friend just lost his best friend, or like it probably felt to him, his other self. First he rejected any kind of question, and slowly, as weeks went by, he started giving the same answer again and again. He mentioned feeling sad like we all did but he said he moved on. It just seems so off that he is so reserved about all of this.”

Otogi straightened his back, leaning his arms on the table next to the laptop as he checked Ryou’s facial expression to judge if he was done talking or not. Noticing Otogi’s stare, Ryou nodded and passed the spotlight on to Otogi. 

“Maybe we are all just over-exaggerating. Maybe he just dealt with a lot after the Pharaoh left but actually got better. I know what you and Anzu mean-” Otogi shared a warm look with the pixelated and laggy Anzu, “but I don’t think that is really the matter now, it’s in the past. What matters, in my opinion, is that after Yuugi saw Atem again and Kaiba magically popped out of existence, Yuugi’s behaviour changed. Of course one could say this is due to him facing Atem again, like reactivating good and bad memories, but he barely talked to us after that. He also barely replies to our text messages. The arcade has closed down for maintenance but I bet you he wouldn’t join us even if it was open. Or maybe he would, but just monotonically playing that one stupid game again and again, not beating his old high score.”

All of them nodded in agreement, and after the waitress served their food and drinks, the group tried very hard to make up a plan on how to approach Yuugi in a different way. No one really had any solution at hand, partly also due to the different time zones, but they agreed to meet again or text each other if any additional ideas popped up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congratulations! You're at the end of the first chapter.
> 
> I hope you liked it!
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	2. II: Dark Magician vs. Blue Eyes White Dragon & Meeting old fears

**Dark Magician vs. Blue Eyes White Dragon**

“I care to believe you came here to duel me, Kaiba?” I smirked and raised my eyebrow, knowing that could have been the only reason that Kaiba would break every possible law of physics to come here. It felt rather weird to use Japanese language again after almost seven months of only speaking in my old native tongue. Yet, it felt quite refreshing and I didn’t want to admit that I felt a very decent stab in my chest using it. Kaiba stood there, his new Duel Disk glowing blue, ready to fight. “How do you think this is going to work, Kaiba? I don’t own this kind of new Duel Disk, I can only summon single monsters and they deal real damage. Even in the realms of the afterlife, almost everything is functioning like in the real world .” 

I knew he didn’t come unprepared, and just as I expected, he pulled out a second Duel Disk, a glowing red one, just like the one Yuugi wore. _Aibou..._ Proudly he walked up to me and just as he went to hand this weird Duel Disk to me, he fell down onto his knees, grunting. I got up and hurried over to where he was breathing heavily on the floor. His coat, the weird buttons and lights looked like they were dissolving into dark purple dust. “What is wrong? Kaiba?” –

“I.. am.. fine.. I just.. I did not..” Kaiba stopped, seemingly in pain.

As a Pharaoh, I don’t think it was really appreciated by my guards to see me go down to my knees and try to help Kaiba up. As I touched his arm to drag him up, I hissed and let his arm go. The crumbling dust that flew off of him burnt, even hotter than the midday sun would on pale skin. _Yuugi is kind of pale..._ Hearing my hiss, the guards tensed up and changed from their defensive posture into an attacking position. I calmed them in our tongue, saying that this is a friend in need of help, but they didn’t relax. 

“Yuugi. Or... Other...Yuugi... I... didn’t cal...culate the effects t-the dimension travelling had...on me...” Kaiba pushed a button on his coat and the dark dust that flew off his clothing slowed down a lot. “I’m fine”, he said while getting up. He was a bit shaky, and was trying to hide his weak and wobbly knees.

He handed me the Duel Disk. “Let’s finish this once and for all, I will be the only one who won against you, I will have destroyed you!”

I took it, questioning what kind of Deck he must have chosen for me. As if Kaiba could sense my question, he flattened the knits on his coat with his hands and cleared his throat. “I put together your old deck that you had before you came here, and I myself, will also use the kind of deck I had back then. Like that it’s a fair duel and I can beat you with my unrefined deck I used back in the day. I assume, since you seemingly duelled Diva before, that you kind of know how this Duel Disk works?”

I stared at the Duel Disk, trying to correctly remember how it worked. I nodded, hoping to understand things on the go. In an authoritative voice, I commanded my guards and everyone else to get out. After a moment of hesitation, they all left, leaving the throne room empty and cold. I still felt a tinge of worry about this incident with Kaiba actually falling onto his knees in front of everyone, but he seemed determined to see this through. Our Duel Disks activated. Before we started, Kaiba looked at me and to my surprise he said something I would not have expected to hear from him. 

“You know, other Yuugi, I think the real Yuugi really had a hard time handling life without your presence. I have my eyes all over Domino City and I know what he did to himself.” 

Before I could grasp what Kaiba had just said, astonished about the emotional hint he gave me, he continued, just as expected. 

“Nevertheless am I willing to give everything to completely annihilate you!” With a wicked grin, he looked at me, and I glared right back, also smiling, but not really, because I worried about what he just said. Then, we both yelled the famous word and started. 

“Duel!”

* * *

**Meeting old fears**

“Yuugi, a champion doesn’t belong on his knees. You achieved a great victory for us both” –

“Please, please Atem, don’t say this, not again, I –“ 

“Don’t, Aibou, you have opened the door for me. Thanks to you, my spirit can finally be at rest once again. I’ll be back where I belong.” 

“NO, YOU BELONG T – “

My heart skipped a beat and I sat up, terrified and dripping with sweat. Why did I wake up? My phone? What time was it? Groggily, I looked around until I noticed the lit up display of my phone with the sound of my favourite song playing way too loud. In trance, I picked up the phone, trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes, cleared my throat and answered. 

“Mutou?” 

A strange voice on the other side seemingly also cleared their throat before speaking up, “Excuse me for the late disturbance, am I speaking to Mutou Yuugi?” I gave a noise of confirmation and the voice proceeded. “This is Dr. Kushokuru speaking. Please rest assured that everything I will tell you now is not life threatening. Please remain calm and don’t panic. This is about your relative Sugoroku Mutou.” 

I gasped audibly and the voice of Dr. Koshokuru came to an abrupt halt, probably startled by the sound my still tired voice made. “W-What is it? Is he okay?”

“Please try to stay calm Mr. Mutou. Your Grandfather is not in acute danger. There was an accident where your relative fell down a set of stairs.” 

I started to take note of a wet feeling on my cheeks as my tears had already started streaming down. My thoughts raced and expanded in every direction. I couldn’t lose my grandfather now, he was the only reason I was still able to function... to some extent. 

Dr. Koshokuru’s voice pulled me out of my worries: “He is okay, as far as we can tell. He has a broken leg, and maybe some mild form of concussion. For safety, he will be transported to Domino City within the next few hours. Our team will contact you again once he arrives. Is that okay with you? I’m sorry that I can’t tell you more right now.” 

Silence. 

What was I supposed to do? Say yes, sure, no problem? Cry like the weak baby I am? Nodding, but more to reassure myself than anything, I mumbled something along the lines of _thanks and yes, please_. Barely capable to process anything, the doctor’s voice said some other things, excused himself and hung up.

Everything crashed down onto me. Gramps. He was fine, was he not? Was it just a projection of my fear of loss, or maybe because I already lost... _Atem_ ... The dream… _Mou Hitori no_... I jerked to my right to check the place where our Puzzle usually stayed while I slept. To my horror on its metal chain hung a bleeding heart. Gulping, I tried to shake the image before me away and blinked a couple of times. My mouth twitched with anxiety when I happened to notice the heart was still there, even after trying to tell myself that it couldn’t be real. Black goo dripped down, and with caution and disgust I tried touching it. Within another blink of an eye, the heart was gone, and so was the necklace. Instead there was... Atem’s head. Immediately I jumped up, gagging roughly, and ran to the bathroom, locking it behind me. 

Strange sensations started creeping up. They started as tingles in my fingertips, then my heart started racing, beating hard,fast and irregular. The periphery of my vision started vibrating and getting darker. I tried to focus on the showerhead to collect my incoherent thoughts, but it strangely felt like I was staring at it from very far away. Ragged breathing made it difficult to focus on anything else but this feeling, and I slid down with my back against the door, shutting my eyes, praying that whatever this was would pass soon. Every inch of my body was now filled with anxiety. Was this how I was going to die?

Ripping my eyes open again, I turned my head ever so slowly to the right to look towards an unfamiliar yet familiar sound. _“Ai..b..bou”_ – the voice spoke, creeping into my ears, past my eardrums, and straight into my brain. I stared at him. At _Atem_ – or more – what was left of him. Half mummified, half rotten, he sat next to me, whimpering my name, again and again. Like a witness of a horrific car accident, I couldn’t pull my eyes off of him. He couldn’t be here. This had to be another hallucination. I forced my eyes shut and felt something wet on my shoulder. Trying to shake the alien feeling on my shoulder and _Atem’s_ crooked voice from beside me, I waited a couple of seconds, or minutes, or hours, I couldn’t tell. 

My head rested against the bathroom door and ever so slowly, I dared to open my eyes again. Usually hallucinations go away after a while, right? If you don’t acknowledge them, they will leave you alone... isn’t that what my loose research reassured me?

 _Atem’s_ decaying and mummified body was still in front of me. I blinked, and unexpectedly he hunched over my right side. I felt his hair, wet slime and bandages burying into my neck. The weird sensations started growing, the tingling got stronger, and I felt like my heart was about to stop or jump out of my chest at any time. The world didn’t move but everything spun, I couldn’t process what was happening. 

_Atem_ kept crying into my shoulder mumbling _“Aibou, help me...”_ over and over again. I just sat there, eyes wide open, unfocused, not physically able to move any inch of my body. Not knowing what was real or surreal anymore, I tried to touch him, ignoring the stench that came off of him. Naturally my hands went right through him and he backed off, moving to stare at me, his pupils not the red-purple mix I remembered, but pitch-black _._

_“You killed me Aibou, you are the reason I have to stay in this form, Zorc is eating me inside out. Eating me, eating me, eating me. Aibou, Aibou, Aibou, you – killed me, left me, denied me.”_

Like a chant, Atem kept repeating those words until they burned themselves into every fiber of my brain. His voice grew louder and louder until I started screaming. 

“STOP! PLEASE ATEM, PLEASE MAKE IT STOP! DON’T!” I held my head and put it between my knees, covering my ears to block out everything – But _Atem’s_ voice was already inside of my head, digging deeper like a worm through wood. 

After one last desperate cry for help, I felt everything go dark.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thanks for reading this chapter :)
> 
> Xoxo Sei


	3. III: Victory at a Cost & Danger upon your Eyes

**Victory at a Cost**

Kaiba’s mind must have gone blank when he dropped yet again to his knees. I can’t tell if he fell because he felt weak, because his life had just crashed down on him, or because he just didn’t know how to express his feelings. I beat him. It was a really close call; I was down to 200 life points. Many times during our duel he emphasized that he was clearly having the advantage of being able to analyse every move I could possibly make over the past six months. He, however, did not calculate the final move I actually made. I think his dignity went underground when it was Kuriboh who took away his final life points with a direct attack. That brown little creature – probably the most hated creature by Kaiba. 

I huffed, not too loud, but audible enough. “That was an amazing Duel, Kaiba! You have improved a lot and I can feel you put a part of your heart into your cards. I wish that we could re –” 

“STOP! Shut up!” 

The loud voice cut through my sentence, making me stumble for a second. I tried to look at Kaiba and found him covering his face with one hand. I then noticed the wet stains on my sandstone floor. Thinking it was for the best, I left him there, assuming that I was the last person he would want comfort from, his “rival” who just beat him in a Duel. Straightening my back, I walked back to my throne. I removed the glowing Duel Disk and sat there, waiting. It felt like an eternity and I was not sure if I heard some muffled sobs coming from Kaiba.

Eventually, he got up and looked straight into my eyes, his own were slightly puffy and reddened. “Yuugi… no... Atem... This duel was... I can’t believe that I...” he hiccupped “It took me almost half a year to develop this transportation system, and only with using the dimension cube, I could actually make it work. I came here to finally beat you and be at peace with myself. But you have beaten me again, and I feel like all my plans and preparations were for nothing. Maybe it was my destiny to lose against you. If I had been like your loyal high priest, perhaps fate would have had different plans for me. Not willingly, but forced to, I will accept this defeat. I will go back to my time and world, and never bother you again. Thank you for this duel”. 

I couldn’t believe what I heard. Kaiba had just thanked me for the duel? Was he out of his mind? I didn’t mind crush him, I didn’t use any shadow magic or anything. What was happening? Pushing those thoughts aside, I wondered if it was the right moment to ask Kaiba if – 

“Farewell, Atem.” Oh Ra, he had already turned around and started marching towards the exit of the palace.

“Kaiba, wait!” I almost jumped out of my seat and rushed down the stairs, barely holding my balance. Kaiba stopped and turned around, his breathing a bit irregular. I gulped, but now was not the time to lie or back down. 

“Kaiba”, I cleared my throat since my voice came out too croaking and insecure, “I wanted to ask if your technology worked… in reverse? You came here, and you’re still standing. Is there a possibility that I could come to your modern time and dimension? Even if only for a short time?”

Oh no, Kaiba showed that expression again. The expression that could kill anyone from a mile away. “And why is that of any relevance?” his voice questioned, sharp and icicle cold.

Hesitation crept up inside of me, as did my doubts about the validity of my reasoning. I never thought it could have been possible to ask such a thing, never even thought that I could maybe appear for more than a few minutes in the modern dimension... Where _Aibou_ is... Oh Ra, how am I – 

“So?” 

I lifted my head. I didn’t even notice that I had zoned out and was staring at the floor. Uneasiness filled my body with a strange sensation. I couldn’t stop here, I had to be honest. “I wondered if there was a way to see Yuugi again, I think we didn’t have enough time to.. I just” – I started stuttering, searching for words. 

My guards, who had returned shortly after the final blow of Kuriboh, stood there and I saw them shyly turn towards me in disbelief. Their Pharaoh just lost his composure in front of everyone, stumbling over words they didn’t understand in front of a stranger. Kaiba eyed me, raising an eyebrow. 

“I just want to see Yuugi again, I miss him, and my life here is not fulfilling.” I tried to sound as rational and strong as possible, but my voice lost its natural hum. “I prayed to Osiris, I prayed to whatever god I can remember, they never listened or reacted to anything. I didn’t ask for much time, I only asked for a bit. Now that your 'technology' can defy the laws of the gods, I thought maybe it could be possible to travel to your time for a short while?”

“What are you saying Pharaoh? I can’t believe my very own ears!” – Mana rushed into the middle of the throne room, previously hiding behind a pillar. Was she there the whole time? 

Nevertheless, I forgot that she and Mahad were able to understand and speak Japanese as well. It was probably from their time being some weird mix-form of spirits in the duel monster cards. 

“Mana, I said you should keep your mouth shut!” Mahad leaped towards her and grabbed her by her white linen dress, stopping her from running further into my direction. With an apologetic look, he bowed slightly, Mana still in his grasp. “Pharaoh Atem, I want to apologize for Mana’s rude behaviour!” 

“I’m not apologizing for finally understanding why Atem has been so distant and off the last months!” Mana shouted. Kaiba stood there, dumbstruck, not really understanding anything Mana was angrily throwing at me.

“Oh children, would you please stop fighting.” My father’s voice, deeper and sharper than mine probably could ever be, resonated through the throne room, as he slowly stepped forward from behind another pillar. Had they all witnessed the duel without me knowing? Technically, he was still the Pharaoh and I was only his son, but fate wanted him to sort of 'retire', if that was in any way possible. Since I died as a Pharaoh, it was my place to be the Pharaoh in the afterlife. Giving me the worried look of a father, he turned to Mana and Mahad, nodding at Kaiba on the way. 

“You all have noticed that Atem seemed to be off balance in his mind since his arrival. During night time, he sometimes mumbles or speaks in a language alien to me, but it was of no doubt the voice of a desperate and heartbroken young man.”

Shame overcame me as I stared down at my own sandals. While Mana, Mahad and my father went into a deeper conversation about my state of being, I noticed Kaiba’s eyes on me - and him moving towards me - and I became hesitant of his intentions. Stopping two steps before me, he cleared his throat to get my attention. I looked up and saw him standing there, slightly annoyed. 

“I don’t think you would survive moving to the modern time. The dimensional cube is bound to my gear as well as my brain. I’m willing to challenge your stupid gods and their reasoning for being complete imbecile beings, but it will probably take months or years to make a prototype to get you to the modern world. I do not intend to waste my resources just on your feelings.”

A bright white light flashing and Mana’s hysteric scream were the last things we sensed before the palace started shaking and everything went from light to black. It was almost like changing into a shadow game. I could not believe what my eyes saw. Or more... Who.

* * *

**Danger upon your Eyes**

When I ripped my eyes open for the second time, it was yet again because of my usually way too loud ringtone, which was in that case, far quieter than I remembered. After blinking a couple of times, I noticed that this was because I laid on the bathroom floor, soaked in an anxious sweat. Not really having a grasp on reality yet and still half unconscious, I wobbled as I got to my feet, blankly moving towards the ringing of my phone. 

I pushed the bathroom door open, and was hit by a refreshing cold breeze as I stumbled into my room. Not caring about how my voice sounded I picked up the phone blindly, which was still ringing way too loud if you ask me, and croaked something between hello and good morning. The voice that responded was almost as loud as my ringtone, and I felt my eardrums vibrate by the high pitch.

“Good Morning Mr. Mutou!” she chimed, “This is Tokirawa here, the head nurse of the neurology ward in Domino Hospital!” Slowly but dreadfully the memories of the past night came back - the phone call with that doctor, _Atem_ , my panic attack. 

I could not help myself but go down in a sudden emotional spiral, but right before I fully gave into it, Tokirawa’s voice caught my attention. “Excuse me, Mr. Mutou, are you still there?” 

“Ah, yes, I’m very sorry.” I tried to sound as neutral as possible. “The night wasn’t really relaxing and I’m just still a bit tired, forgive me, please proceed.”. Fairly proud of my ability to sound almost convincing, a yawn escaped my lips. 

“That’s alright! I’m sorry if I woke you up. I have been assigned to update you about your grandfather’s condition.” I nodded, humming in agreement, internally asking myself what time it actually was. Phone in hand for the second time, I looked at the time briefly once again before lifting it back to my ear. It felt like time slipped away from me just like my sense of reality. 

“So, Mr. Mutou...” The cheery ring to her chirpy voice immediately resolved and went serious. “Sugoroku Mutou has been here for around two hours now, they transported him safely to the ward. His broken leg has been stabilized and” – It clicked. 

”Wait, wait, sorry for interrupting… But you’re calling from the neurological ward?” I began breathing quicker and felt stress forcing a headache on me. “Is my grandfather alright? Did anything other than the broken leg happen to him?” 

I heard a sigh on the other end of the call and some incoherent mumbles in the background. Suddenly, the head nurse didn’t sound calm anymore at all. She rushed her sentences and spoke almost in a monotone professionalism.

“I would like to ask you to come to our ward as soon as possible, Mr. Mutou. I just got information that your grandfather will need brain surgery. The concussion seemed to have damaged an aneurysm in your grandfather’s brain. He had a CT scan of his head, which showed a bleed in his brain, probably from the impact of his fall. He will need surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain. He is being taken to the operating room right now. I have to leave you, I am very sorry for keeping it short and for not being able to tell you everything will be alright, because his status is up in the air right now. Please proceed to visit us at the Domino Hospital as soon as you can, and maybe bring along a friend for support. Thank you for your patience Mr. Mutou and I hope to see you soon. Goodbye!” 

Before I could ask something to calm my flaring wave of anxiety, she hung up. Staring at my phone dizzy and still processing what just has been said, I finally managed to check the time. 7:54 in the morning. All right. I continued to talk to myself to keep myself from freaking out. I put my phone down, went to my wardrobe and opened it. Mostly black, some purple, and a lot of tight stuff. I haven’t changed that much, have I? Pulling out my only rather loose black shirt, some boxers and a dark grey pair of jeans to slide into after showering, I walked back to the bathroom, slowly, my mind still kind of blank and incapable of grasping what had happened. With no further problems I undressed and threw my sweat drenched pyjamas into a corner. I turned on the shower and got in. I let the warm water relax my tense muscles and started to calm down. 

That’s a lie. 

I got in the shower, but I instantaneously slipped down back against the wall, and just started screaming. I screamed until my lungs hurt, until no more sound was able to escape from my throat. At this point, I started realizing the agony I felt, the pain that I tried to repress for months. Nightmares about _Atem_ , my grandfather being in sudden danger. I wasn’t able to pull myself together, although I knew I HAD to. I needed to. I was almost an adult and had to just get a grip on my life, my sanity. That thought made me laugh out loud, hoarse, sounding more like a whiskey-drinking chain-smoker than myself. 

In the blink of an eye, the water below me turned dark red. Looking up in disbelief, _Atem’s_ eyes stared at me instead of the showerhead, crying bloody tears instead of water. Immediately, I closed my eyes and rubbed them vigorously. Upon opening them again, everything was back to normal, not like a couple of hours ago, where I struggled to influence the happenings I was seeing. Were they even hallucinations? I wasn’t so sure anymore. With a mental, wicked grin on my face from the bitter laugh I soon started weeping. Weeping, then crying, then sobbing. Tears streamed down my face, though they were quickly drowned by the shower stream. I dug my hands into my bangs and raked against my forehead, sobbing until I was out of breath and could only hiccup, trying to get much needed air into my lungs.

An eternity passed, and my sobbing went back to outright crying, and then back to feeble weeping. Feeling empty and drained of all emotions, I managed to stand and finish my shower robotically. I could barely remember getting out of the shower, brushing my teeth and getting dressed, but at some point I found myself in front of the game shop, the doors locked properly, keys in hand, ready to go to the hospital. Everything felt numb, like my body had been wrapped in cotton candy. I felt numb, empty. Like I was not myself, but next to myself. 

Suddenly, I turned around, almost cursing. I could have sworn I saw a light flaring up behind me and then going dark again. Sighing, I started walking towards the nearest bus station. I had to pretend to be strong, for gramps. That meant I would keep going until he got well again, if that was even in the realms of possibilities. If not, then it would make it easy for me to just end everything. On the other hand… The loud honking of a passing car ripped me out of my thoughts. _Not yet_ , I thought to myself in bitter melancholy. I checked my phone and my mind stuttered. 7:26 in the morning? Last time I checked, _before_ I went to take a shower, it was 7:54…? Was I going to lose my last shred of sanity?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading <3 I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	4. IV: Old and new Friends & Wrath of Gods and Dragons

**Old and new Friends**

The moment Ryou opened his eyes and was not able to see his purple night light and the red dot of his TV screen was the moment he knew something was very wrong. The air felt thick and heavy and he could tell he was not in his comfortable bed. Trying to sit up, he slammed his head on something hard, causing some dust to flake off the surface he just hit. Inhaling the dust and coughing, Ryou pushed against the roof, way too close to his face, and had to use quite some force in order to move it. After struggling for a moment, he managed to push himself free and found himself in the middle of a dimly lit room. He sat up and looked around. It was still quite dark, but the somber light source was a welcome sight. 

Turning his head to his left to stretch his neck, he gasped the moment he noticed that he was sitting in some sort of Sarcophagus. A chuckle was heard nearby. 

“I always wondered what you would look like utterly confused."

With a shriek Ryou jumped up and tried to rush into a corner of the room. He tripped over his own feet and fell, ultimately sliding backwards the rest of the way on his backside. “This... this can’t be. Are... is this… you?” he inhaled anxiously, “Zorc?” 

“Oh, for the love of Ra, no, I’m not Zorc! Zorc got banished or whatever the fuck he got after Atem got the better of Diva and the Millenium Ring.” The voice sighed in a nostalgic manner. “I’m the person I was in Khemet, a long time ago. And we do share the same name. I’m Bakura.” 

The shadowy figure stepped out of the darkest corner, his features still visible despite the dim lighting. He looked different from Ryou, or Zorc-Bakura. He had a scar covering a part of his face, a natural tan due to his origin and his hair was even wilder and less controlled than Ryou’s, though a bit darker and shorter. “Why am I dreaming this stuff, all of a sudden? I was nightmare free for weeks? Can I just wake up please?” Ryou’s voice was slightly shaking and he tried his best to not sound too stressed out. 

“Oh boy, you’re not a calm one, are you? This is not a regular dream, I come straight from the place between the duat and the pet.”

Bakura took a couple of steps forward and leaned casually against one of the sandstone walls, not caring about the dust that would be on his clothing soon. “After you guys defeated Zorc for the first time I was, naturally, not granted a space in the afterlife. Zorc’s soul went ‘who knows where’, and that other pale and horrifying manifestation of yours was just erased from existence. My soul was allowed to wander east without being blessed by any priest, but the weighing of my heart against the Maat on Anubis’ scale of truth was off-balance. Instead of sending me to what you would call ‘hell’, I just... wasn’t allowed to move on. To somewhere, ever. Like an eternal slumber in the dark. You know...” The voice, usually so strong, got weaker and hesitant. Bakura’s eyes did not glare in Ryou’s direction anymore, and the shuffle of his sandals was audible. “I know I won’t be able to make it to the afterlife, but at least I want to... I...” 

Ryou raised an eyebrow sceptically, confused about the sudden stuttering and stared at Bakura’s dimly lit face, eyes wide open, questioning and anxious. Then he shook his head in disbelief and tried to pull himself together. He must be joking. After a moment to collect his thoughts, he mustered up all of his courage and started his rant. "What, what is it? Do you want to tell me how much you liked haunting me, you sick creature? The moment you and the ring stabbed me in my chest? And stabbed me even deeper mentally? Are you here to make my life HELL again?! Are you...”

“No, for Ra’s sake! LISTEN please!” Bakura shouted. Ryou choked on his breath and was speechless by the sudden outburst. 

Usually Zorc, or Bakura, or whoever, was not one to anger this easily over low insults. “Can you just... without, I don’t know, being you, listen to me and shut the hell up for a minute? It took me long enough to prepare for this!” 

Ryou hesitated. Was he just going to let this person in front of him have his way? Was it his time now to say no and leave? But what if there was something important Bakura wanted to say? Giving it barely any more thought, he grumbled, subconsciously picking at his cuticles. 

“Okay, I will listen to you. If it’s going to be any of the sort of bullshit you pulled in the past... to seduce or persuade me to follow the way of the dark or Zorc, I will just leave right at this very moment!” 

Bakura huffed in slight annoyance, or was it embarrassment? He looked up, directly into Ryou’s face and Ryou tried to not blush as he felt the guilt wash over him. Bakura’s face was covered with some sort of shame, or something else maybe, but there was no malice in his expression. 

Clearing his throat, fumbling with the sleeve of his red coat and his almost certainly stolen jewellery, he continued: “So, Ryou, right? I am here to...” Bakura’s speech ground to a sudden halt as he took in a breath. Then he rushed, the words tumbling out of his mouth without taking another breath “…officially try to apologize for everything in the past that has happened to you. And...And before you say anything now, I KNOW this won’t make things right. I don’t expect you to forgive a fool like me, and I won’t beg for it...”

Ryou blinked and shuffled, not cowering anymore but sitting almost comfortably, leaning against the cold stone wall behind him. There was nothing but silence. Both of the men just were present. 

Bakura waited eagerly for Ryou to say anything. Small droplets of sweat covered his forehead as he just stood there, arms crossed against his chest as if to shield himself. He looked around, avoiding eye contact, as he tapped the dusty floor with his sandals impatiently. Ryou sat in the corner with a blank expression on his face, but by no means was his mind blank. He was reconstructing the sentences he just heard in an effort to make sense of them. A plea for forgiveness.

His thoughts spiralled uncontrollably. Bakura just asked for forgiveness. He just ASKED for HIS forgiveness? Was there really remorse visible in the words that had echoed through the room? Or was he just playing games again? Ryou shook his head, still in disbelief. 

“How am I supposed to know what you say is the truth? I must be dreaming... maybe that is just what I WANT to hear from you. Yes, I know who you are. The self-crowned Thief King."

Bakura flinched as Ryou spat out the words _Thief King_ in his direction. He sighed, yet again, and rubbed his forehead with his hand. Searching for the right words, he started to straighten his back and opened his mouth to speak up, but Ryou cut him off just before, the tears forming in the corner of his eyes clearly visible. 

“Why would you ask for forgiveness? You said you didn’t cause any of this, that you were not Zorc, so WHY are you asking for forgiveness?” Ryou cried. 

Bakura did not expect this sudden outburst from Ryou. His voice was shaking and it chilled Bakura right to his marrow, making him shudder visibly. 

“I have done terrible things in Khemet, for what I blamed Pharaoh Atem for. I know now this was not right. Anubis, Osiris, and all the gods that made fun of me told me so. I was blinded by rage at that time. Blinded by hate. The Millenium Ring was the perfect way to meld with darkness. This darkness fed my hate, it made me believe that even you were to blame for what happened back then. Ryou...” Ryou’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when he heard Bakura take his name in his mouth with a softness that made him want to almost get up and immediately accept his apology, but he knew better – “Please, it won’t make a difference if you believe me, or forgive me. I will not be granted to go to any other place other than this dark void that I am destined to be existing within. I just wanted to get this off my chest, and now, I feel like the void won’t gnaw at me so much anymore.” Bakura smiled, a wide and content grin on his face. Ryou responded with a slight grin of his own, not sure if he believed anything he heard, but he did feel empathy for his counterpart.

In the blink of an eye, Bakura’s grin twisted and he choked on his breath. The tip of a long, silver dagger covered in a dark red substance was poking out from his torso. Ryou screamed and jumped up onto his feet, in shock at the scene that was playing out in front of him. Bakura, impaled and in atrocious pain, frowned and grunted, then fell to his knees and onto his side. Ryou instinctively wanted to sprint towards him, but the energy he felt from where his almost new friend just stood told him better. A vicious, dark and scratchy chuckle was heard, as another white haired person stepped into the dim light. This time, the person had pale skin like Bakura, a very similar haircut, but his eyes showed nothing but malice. 

“It can’t be!” Ryou shouted. Part of him wanted to cover his eyes, however, he was unable to look away from the pool of blood collecting around Bakura. 

“Yes, yes, my dear Ryou. So we meet again. Did Bakura apologize already? I didn’t listen to his mumbling. He probably did it because he knew he couldn’t get away from me. Oh. What’s that look on your face? Ah, he’s not dead and he won’t die. He CAN’T die! He’s locked away in the empty black void with me forever and I can do as I please, at any time.” 

If there was any possibility Ryou could get paler he probably would have. Imagining what Bakura had to go through and realizing that he also lied to him to hide the fact he was being tortured, Ryou started to shake uncontrollably. He had been haunted and used by this person, by Zorc Bakura, almost each day over a very long period of time. Yes, sometimes he couldn’t remember everything. He often blanked out and woke up on top of a corpse, vomiting at the sheer sight of it. The inhabitant of a part of his soul, bound to the Millennium Ring, clearly enjoyed torturing Bakura. 

Just like Yuugi and Atem, Ryou and Zorc Bakura had a shared space within the Millennium Ring. Ryou often got tied up there, beaten mercilessly, physically abused and mentally broken again and again. When he woke up from those very vivid nightmares, his body was untouched, but his soul remained broken. Only through medication, meditation and therapy was he able to stabilize himself in the way he was now. Pulled back into his dream state by the sound of Zorc Bakura moving, Ryou pressed himself into the wall behind him, trying to hastily think of a way to wake up and escape this. Zorc Bakura held up his silver dagger, which was still covered in Bakura’s blood, watching it glint in the dim light briefly, and then slowly came for Ryou. A familiar anxiety crawled into Ryou’s body and even though he told himself a million times before that he would never back down again against something like this, all he could do was stare at Bakura walking towards him, that wicked grin on his face, dagger pointed right at Ryou’s heart. One last wish formed in Ryou’s mind as one last sentence escaped his lips. 

* * *

**Wrath of Gods and Dragons**

How can I even start to describe and process the scene that just played out in front of me? Almost as if a light switch from Yuugi’s time was flicked, everything went from white to dark. The whole palace looked like it was covered in some sort of dark-purple gloomy haze. It looked like a shadow game, but this could not be. 

Before us, there was a circle carved into the ground. Around the outer rim of it were hieroglyphs, but I couldn’t make out their meaning from this far away. After just a couple of seconds, everything began shaking and something emerged from the circle’s center. A shadowy figure stood there, neither breathing nor emitting any other sounds other than the sound of fabric rubbing against itself. Then, a light chuckle was heard. A soft voice. The creature now stood up and straightened its back. A human form, I thought to myself, or at least something more humanoid compared to other creatures that we had already encountered. It also didn’t feel like a monster from the Realms of Shadow or a soul monster that got summoned. The chuckle died down and the creature spoke, addressing all of us. 

“You foolish human beings. I have witnessed and heard enough of your imbecilic sentences and speculations. I am here with an offer. To end this misery. You bore the gods.” 

The dark environment slowly lightened up and finally, and almost eerily, everything started to become more visible. Mana and Mahad jumped back in shock, as they quickly discovered what, or more likely, who, was revealed in front of us. Mana covered her face nervously and Mahad took a protective step in front of her. My father made an audible gasp, as he probably did not expect this immortal being to appear unannounced in the upper realms of the afterlife. I blinked several times, feeling anger growing inside of me. Anger for all my unheard prayers, begging, sacrifices and offerings. I looked down, trying to not frown. Trying not to show how I truly felt. 

“And who is that weirdo? Another one of your friends, _dear Pharaoh_?” Kaiba did not understand what the being in front of him must have said, and he knew little about our gods. As I looked up again, swallowing most of my feelings, I was astonished by how the god of the undead, Osiris, just stood in front of us, making himself appear weak and fragile. Bloodstained bandages covered most of his body. Some parts around his arms and knees were not fully covered, the loose bandages exposing rotten flesh. I tried not to imagine the stench it would have had if he was a real human being. His face was also mostly covered in bandages, except for one eye, his mouth, and a small fraction of his head, where some red fringes were showing. Red, not because of his hair color, but because of blood. Osiris’ pupils were fully white. There was really no mortal quality about this god in front of us. Behind me, I heard my three companions fall onto their knees and for a split second, I asked myself where Seth must be. He probably was the only one who actually left the throne room when I ordered so. 

Hesitant, I considered if it was really worth it to kneel for someone like Osiris. He was not a god that one would really look up to, since he takes care of the dead and the world of the dead, helping Anubis weigh hearts against Maat and probably, if that was even possible, feeling something close to joy when Maat won. Still, he was a god, and he had powers beyond any imagination, so I shoved my anger down until I felt but a slight burn in my stomach and knelt on one knee. I was the Pharaoh, a demi-god in the midst of the afterlife. I would have put shame onto everyone if I knelt like a slave or some lower folk. Kaiba turned around and stared at all of us, huffing in irritation. 

“What is going on here? Can someone please explain why you are falling to your knees like weaklings?” 

My head bowed, I growled a warning as quietly as possible to Kaiba.

“Kaiba, please, for the love of Ra, can you try to behave? You are an intelligent man, so please act like it. Kneel now!” 

Kaiba grunted in response. It didn’t seem as if he wanted to obey what I just asked him to do, although he probably was never one to obey anyone’s order. He didn’t even ‘accept’ the fact that I was gone and tried everything possible to come here just to duel me. 

"And what if I refuse to kneel before that oh so rotten looking god?” Kaiba taunted, making me roll my eyes slightly. “I don’t believe that gods have more power than I have, in fact, I made it here all by myself, while your gods just sat there, twiddling their thumbs.” 

Honestly, I could not agree more with Kaiba, but the rules were different in the afterlife. I snarled, looking up, not really caring about Osiris, and shot Kaiba a deadly look. “Kaiba, this is my world, my life, my rules. Now, would you please at least bow or something to show some resp-”

“Oh no, no, _dear Pharaoh Atem, demi-god, ruler of the afterlife._ ” Osiris purred, clearly making fun of my title and rank in the world of ancient Khemet and the afterlife. “Let him continue. All this obeying makes me, how do I say in a human way, YAWN in agony. Anubis clearly has the better job, but most of us just sit around and basically do nothing.” I suppressed my commentary, knowing that with the snap of a finger Osiris could erase me or hurt people whom I dearly care for, and maybe even _... Aibou_. 

A rather annoyed sigh came out of Kaiba's mouth and he curled his lips, matching the frown his forehead showed. “I’m sorry, whoever you are that makes people shudder and obey like the little dogs they are. You must be some sort of a god, so can you please speak in my language. You can do that, or are you not godly enough for that?” 

Osiris smirked. Well, it might have been a smirk, it was not really clear under his bandages. The rotten form of Osiris turned fully to regard Kaiba. Without another perceivable movement, he suddenly appeared in front of Kaiba, making the tall CEO slightly flinch and take a half step backwards. 

“Of course, dear Seto Kaiba.'' Osiris agreed, this time in perfect japanese, “I can speak in your tongue. In fact, I can probably speak in any tongue that I’d like to. If you want to know, I said that I had enough of this sentimental chit chat and your self-absorbed behaviour. It makes me.. how would you humans say it... sick? And for your information, I am Osiris, god of the underworld.” 

Kaiba’s eyes widened ever so slightly and he genuinely seemed impressed, but not in any positive way. He straightened his back, standing arrogantly in front of the god with crossed arms in the typical ‘Kaiba way’, and smoothly countered. “No one asked for your opinion, god. You were not here when I came to this dimension. You were not here when this Aigami figure was trying to destroy my tournament and my pride. So why would I give a godly fuck about this? Return to your realms and continue spying on other people’s conversations. This is something between ME and the Pharaoh, and I never asked for your opinion.” 

I heard Mana and Mahad gasp, looking up as they covered their mouths with their hands. My father stared in shock, eyes wide open. He didn’t understand what Kaiba had said, but I assume his tone probably made the point crystal clear. Not because of the cramp that had formed in my upper leg, but because of Kaiba’s sheer audacity to speak up against a god I had to try to set things straight quickly and got up.

“Kaiba, in whatever life or dimension you feel you are in right now, this is no way to speak to a god.” I was still noticeably angry with Osiris, my voice was trembling ever so slightly. “Please refrain from taking those words into your mouth. You’re dishonouring my kingdom.”

Kaiba didn’t break eye contact with Osiris as a slight chuckle escaped his mouth. Osiris looked like he had been taken aback by Kaiba’s words, but quickly recovered from the waterfall of insults. 

“You know, dear Kaiba. _The Pharaoh_ is right. This is no way to speak to a god, even though I can literally sense his masked anger up to my rotten nasal bone. Now, maybe we should talk in private?” Osiris snapped his fingers, the sound more like fabric rubbing than an actual snap. My two best friends and my father were gone, as were the guards. The room’s atmosphere changed. 

The throne room was now empty, and the walls shifted around us. I looked down, trying to swallow the churning sensation in my stomach. Kaiba looked around, trying to understand what happened, I assume. My throne room suddenly turned into some sort of modern time room. 

“Mokuba!” Kaiba yelled in surprise. In front of us was a rather tired-looking Mokuba sitting in a conference room, surrounded by very neatly dressed people.

“See, Kaiba, the thing is, I could eradicate Mokuba’s sheer existence right now, just because you insulted me.” Osiris laughed. The noise was hoarser than I expected, given his light voice. 

“Oh, you would not! If you ever dare to harm Mokuba, I will track you and your lazy god ass down and tear you to pieces, or shreds, if you want to take the bandages in account.”

“That’s the spirit I like to see. Not something as obeying and grovelling as _Pharaoh Atem_ . Although I think he is just obeying because he is so scared to lose his ‘ _Aiiboou_ ’.” 

Kaiba looked at me, cold, no emotions detectable, and I looked down immediately, almost choking on my anger. 

“Ohhh, poor _Atem._ ” Osiris taunted again, speaking in a high pitched voice usually reserved for speaking with toddlers, “I’m sure you would have wanted to spend time in the modern world with your _pretty, pretty Aibou, your_ friends, and a beating heart, would you not?” Almost boiling over in anger, I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white. In shame, I could feel tears welling up in the corners of my eyes. Although I’m sure I wasn’t going to cry, I asked myself if that was pain or pure hatred forming those tears. 

Kaiba had better plans than to leave me there steaming. “Okay, enough insults. While you lazy ass gods just sit wherever you rest, people like Atem kicked Zorc’s ass twice. Now can you please leave so we can finish this conversation, or I will remove you myself.” Saying that, Kaiba turned his gear on and a blue light lit up above his left eye. Osiris snapped his fingers, the room changing again back to the throne room. My three companions were still gone. 

“Let me show you two something..” 

Osiris snapped his fingers yet again, and I felt my throat close up quickly. No more air came into my lungs, and although I technically didn’t need to breathe air as I was already dead, it was still alarming. Except for the lack of a heartbeat, everything was pretty human like in this world. I could not think too much about that fact though, and instead, I sunk to my knees, desperately trying to inhale, but nothing happened. With another snap, I saw Kaiba fall down onto his knees as well out of the corner of my eye, struggling with the same issue. 

“So, my mortal and not so mortal friends... this is what happens if you joke around with me. I have complete control over your bodies.”

I felt the edges of my sight go dark and blurry, and I was sure I was to pass out when a sudden rush of adrenaline jolted through my body and my lungs filled with air again. Quickly, I tried to get up to help Kaiba, failing utterly, as my legs gave in, leaving me on my knees still. Kaiba also took in a sudden breath, much more desperately than I did. He cursed something along the lines of burning a god and breaking every possible law to bury him alive. Osiris laughed at the view of us, clearly amused by our misery. 

“Now, that was fun! Kaiba, I offer you a challenge. The two of us play a game. If you win, Atem will come back from the afterlife, and have another possibility to live. If you fail, you will be sent home, and Mokuba will be here in your place. Forever. Now, do we have a deal? It’s a fairly good and generous offer, I'd say.”

Kaiba inhaled sharply. I could feel shivers going down my spine just from Kaiba’s anger alone. With a growl and a very angry sounding hiss, Kaiba got up, brushed the dust off of his coat, shot daggers with his eyes at Osiris and answered in a chilly tone “Deal. But if you hurt Mokuba before we’re done, I will burn every inch of your stupid bandages.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I really appreciate it.
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	5. V: Fatalistic memories & Shaking to senses

**Fatalistic memories**

“I forgive you…” he whispered. 

Zorc Bakura had become distracted by Ryou’s words for just a second too long, allowing the opportunity for someone to lunge at him from the side. Blood coating the floor as his red coat turned dark red, Bakura jumped at the enemy and tried to pull the dagger out of his hands. A small, hopeful sound came from Ryou’s mouth, but it was quickly cut off by the feeling of something heavy weighing down his neck. He looked down, only to see the Millenium Ring resting against his chest. With a loud scream, he tried to grab it and pull it off, ignoring the fight that Zorc-Bakura and Bakura were in the midst of. Pulling on it, slamming it against the wall, prying it over his head, nothing seemed to work. Ryou continued to choke, and soon, he had no other option but to obey. 

He felt the familiar darkness fill him, cold and stinging. He hated it, mostly. He blinked, and suddenly he was bent over Bakura, who looked up at him with sheer terror in his eyes. Ryou tried again to fight against the ring’s influence. He thought that he would be stronger than this now, but yet again, he failed. With a scream of panic and self-hatred, he felt his body move on its own. He watched with distant eyes as the silver, magically clean dagger dug itself painfully slowly into Bakura’s body again. A guttural shout could be heard from below him, but the shout slowly turned into a feeble gurgling punctuated by hitched breaths. At last, Bakura didn’t breathe anymore and his eyes didn’t shut. No life or soul was visible. Only horror. 

Ryou broke down, panting, screaming, crying all at once. He threw the dagger towards the opposite side of the room, gagging as it left his hand. Zorc Bakura was nowhere to be seen and the ring was now gone. Or was it even there in the beginning? Did Ryou just kill a man in his dream without the influence of the Ring? He pulled his hair and rocked back and forth next to Bakura’s lifeless body, suppressing more gags, but finally giving in and retching several times. Hopeless, clueless and afraid, Ryou got up slowly. On unsteady feet he started to walk, wobbling from side to side with every step. His vision was blurry and his eyes were puffy. If he didn’t wake up, then he might as well die here. Slowly, unsure of his decision, he stumbled towards the silver dagger, bracing a hand on the wall to avoid giving into his weak knees. 

Finally at his intended destination, he took the dagger and eyed it. Dark red blood covered the beautiful, curved blade. Dark purple diamonds on the sides of the knob reflected his own face back at him, and he hated what he saw more than anything in this world and the next. Golden hieroglyphics were carved on the same knob, but he couldn’t read any of them, no matter how hard he tried. This time, his wish was final, and no one could stop him. He held the dagger to where Zorc Bakura wanted to initially stab him, took a deep breath, held his breath, and pushed the dagger into his chest.

Panting, Ryou sat up, covered in sweat. He looked to his left and saw a purple light and a tiny red dot. He could not remember what he had been dreaming, only that there was a man he had to forgive. Deciding to not linger on the dream, he thought it was for the best to wash away the remaining sweat of the unknown nightmare. Ryou went to the bathroom, locked it and started undressing. First, he took off his boxers, grossed out by some sweat stains on the sides. Then, he took off his shirt and caught a quick glimpse of himself in the mirror. 

The sight caused him to shake in fear. The scars from the Millenium ring and the seven dots from where the tines dug into his skin had all turned into dark bruised patches of skin. Ryou remembered what he dreamt, and as the images assaulted his mind, his world began spinning out of control and without warning. He crashed down onto the floor where a welcoming void was awaiting him.

* * *

**Shaking to senses**

Putting his warm and half empty soda aside, Marik asked himself if it ever was carbonated. Deeply engrossed with a translation about summoning gods, he had lost track of time and space again. It was 3.30am when he checked his phone. Shit, he thought to himself. How could he ever get an adequate amount of sleep now? That particular translation was just too interesting to put aside, it was so addictive to read about people using weird objects to summon gods. Marik hesitated when he felt a slight headache coming on and a cold shiver ran down his spine. 

“What was that?” His question was unanswered as it rang in the empty room. 

Suddenly, the room started shaking. It wasn’t a rough shaking like a serious earthquake, but the massive piles of research papers on the floor started rustling and a book fell onto the floor. A couple of seconds later, everything returned to normal. 

Blinking, Marik looked around to see if everything was still in its place. The incident came and passed so quickly, he didn’t even have the time to be afraid or to feel anxious. He got up from the floor and picked up the book that had fallen. 

“The Curse of Osiris." He smiled. It was pop-culture, so nothing that was profoundly researched. He had bought it just to make fun of it. The book said something along the lines of Osiris going ‘berserk’ and attacking any intruder to his territory. It was a hilarious read, because not only did it not consider egyptian mythology and history, it also just sounded like someone wrote a weird fanfiction about an egyptian god with self-esteem issues.

Once the book was returned to its rightful place on the table, Marik nearly jumped when he saw his phone ring. Frowning at it, he wasn't quite sure who would call at this hour. 

_Ishizu Ishtar is calling_

What? Why is his sister calling at 4 in the morning? Without further hesitation he picked up, worried that something bad might have happened.

“Hey, Ishizu? Are you alright?”

“Good morning Marik. Did you feel the earthquake at home?” Ishizu wondered. She sounded slightly distressed and Marik wondered if he heard someone yell in the background.

“Ah, yes, but it was only very light. Why are you ca-”

“Marik, I need you to come here to the excavation site, right now.” Ishizu’s tone of voice did not leave any room for questions or doubts. Marik knew that when Ishizu spoke in this way, it was important. His heart was beating up to his throat and he couldn’t even tell why he was nervous about the call.

“Alright, is there anything you need me to -” Completely off guard, Marik held the phone away from his ears, his eardrums vibrating from a very desperate sounding cry in the background. Then, he heard a deep rumble through the phone and only the slightest moment after, the floor in the house started vibrating again. On the other side of the line, it almost sounded like an apocalypse was starting. In the middle of it was his sister, commanding people to not freak out.

“Can you please just come? It’s important.” she panted, audibly exhausted from the yelling and from stress. “Now, please. Rishid is already here. _No, no, please remain calm, she is alright, just give her time_.” Marik shook his head in disbelief. But his sister was serious. So he started putting away all the scattered papers on the floor with hieroglyphs, thesis and egyptologists’ shattered dreams.

“I’ll be on my way.” He didn’t receive an answer. Ishizu hung up. There was only the flat monotone beep of a dead line. Marik felt a sudden invisible hammer banging on the back of his head a couple of times. He flinched at the sudden pain and held the back of his band with both hands, slumping to a crouching position. The pain went down the spine and slowly faded there. He couldn’t even imagine that when he was still younger, this pain was almost always there when he was interacting with his father. 

After the pain was no more hammering, but only a light pressure headache, Marik got dressed (he was still in boxers and a tank top) and decided that he would take his new bike. He even bought a new helmet with it, an old-school avian style helmet with big safety glasses. The air already started to get hot and the sun was about to go up soon enough. 

Marik smirked. As much as he didn’t like Kaiba violently digging through the Pharaoh’s grave, he kind of did pull a good stunt with making a solid stone street all the way to the excavation side. It was extra, but then again, it was Kaiba.

On the other side of the previous phone call, Ishizu was on her knees in front of a woman. Rishid held the woman’s legs up and Ishizu put a wet cloth on her forehead. She lost consciousness the moment she came running out of the grave entrance screaming. Ishizu and a lot of other people rushed to her side immediately, but she was knocked out cold. Only with a lot of trying to reach her and doing everything possible to stabilise her was she able to at least give some vocal responses. They were in no means coherent, but at least she was coming back from being knocked out cold.

Once she was stable enough to be carried, Ishizu took her and her husband into the main tent, letting her sit on a chair and helping her get back to her senses. After another while, some more water and a lot of support by her husband, the woman was able to give coherent answers again. The things Ishizu heard made her rip her eyes open in curiosity and fear.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading <3\. I am thrilled that you are enjoying it!
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	6. VI: Cast aside & Numbly overloaded

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGERWARNING: Vomiting/Gagging

**Cast aside**

“I’m sorry, did anyone just hear that?” Mokuba asked the gathering around him. Confused looks and slight but uncertain headshakes was all he got. “Nevermind then, I’m sorry for interrupting, please, continue!”

His secretary nodded into the direction of the experimental game developer who washolding a presentation about why his game idea should be developed in a certain way. His most distracting feature, though, was his cast. He must have broken his arm not long ago, but the plaster was covered in beautiful paintings, done by someone with artistic talent. Flowers, ornaments. It was amazing. Mokuba wished for a second that he too had a friend with that talent in his life. He snorted internally. The only friend he could probably get would be a ghost, but ghosts couldn’t draw. But what if? Forcibly shaking that very amusing thought aside, he resumed listening to the meeting holder’s presentation. 

As the meeting proceeded, Mokuba could not rid himself of the feeling that he did, in fact, not imagine what he heard a few minutes ago. Glaring at the ceiling, he tried to recall what the voice sounded like. Maybe it really was just his imagination, because the longer he thought about it, the more he thought the voice resembled his brother’s, but that was just impossible. Seto left in a rush after the whole tournament ended, saying something about the afterlife and the Pharaoh and maybe not coming back. Mokuba of course wished for him to come back, but on the other hand, he couldn’t shake a certain anger he often felt when he thought about Seto nowadays. Seto was always there for him, cared for him, despite his cold outer shell and his _massive_ amounts of work (which now was all in Mokuba’s hands). But after this Atem guy had disappeared, Seto became completely obsessed in finding the Puzzle so he could revive the Pharaoh and duel him. _Duel him._ Like that would bring back his broken pride. Of course, Mokuba was always supportive and helped Seto wherever he could. Even now, he basically ran the company in Seto’s absence. The employees didn’t mind, in fact, they were very supportive. 

Mokuba felt a light nudge from his personal assistant, prompting him to look up. He tried to hide the baffled look on his face as he was met by the sudden stares from around the room and from the game development guy. The presentation was over, and Mokuba glanced at the last sheet of it. Internally panicking because he didn’t pay attention, he tried to quickly come up with an excuse. Luckily he was able to adapt quickly, so he managed to blurt something out.

“Thank you very much for your detailed presentation! If you don’t mind, I would like to go over it again in my free time and give my reflections and honest opinion about this project. So far it looks great!” Mokuba cleared his throat while assessing the reaction of ‘his’ employees. “Please just send me your file via email and I will get back to you! Thanks to everyone here, the meeting is adjourned. Feel free to send me and Mr. Tougumotu your feedback.” 

He got up and stretched, earning a round of suppressed chuckles from his co-workers and employees. Seto would have never stretched in front of anybody, it probably was considered impolite. Quickly, Mokuba bowed ever so slightly and apologized. He then left the meeting room and was welcomed by some fresh office air on his way to grab a much needed coffee.

As he opened the door, Mokuba heard agitated voices behind him. He didn’t pay it a second thought and closed the office door behind him. Yawning loudly and stretching again, this time properly until it felt like the air was being pushed out of his lungs, he waddled over to the coffee machine. Never in this life had Mokuba thought that he’d understand why Seto drank so much coffee. Running KC alone, if only for a couple of days now, was really tiring. Pushing the espresso button, he sighed, inhaling the pleasant smell from strong beans being ground. Lulled into relaxation by the scent, Mokuba almost shrieked in surprise when a series of loud knocks sounded on his office door. 

“Open up, Kaiba! I’m here to duel you! I finally have the deck I need to blast your ego down from the heavens!” Mokuba laughed to himself, naturally recognizing the loud and enthusiastic voice from the other side of the door. “It’s open, Jonouchi, please feel free to enter!” 

The door was pulled at a couple of times until Jonouchi finally pushed it and almost fell into the room due to the harshness of his shove. Jonouchi looked up after regaining his balance and was surprised to see only Mokuba in the room. 

Before Jou could say anything, Mokuba casually greeted him, “Hi there! Glad to see you’re doing well. I’m sorry to disappoint you Jou, but Seto is not here and I don’t know when he will be back.” 

Jonouchi’s forehead crumpled up and he frowned visibly, scanning the room left and right to check if there was maybe a sign that Seto Kaiba was there after all. He straightened his back, blushing slightly upon realizing the silliness of his own actions. 

“Ahh, damn. I’m sorry kiddo! I’ll just come back later. Beep me up anytime! See ya!” Jonouchi turned around and almost already stepped outside of the office, when he froze, repeating Mokuba’s greeting in his head. He turned around, his hair flapping wildly with the force of his turn, and stared at Mokuba with his eyes wide. “Wait. You don’t know when he will be back? Where did his big ego take him to leave you all alone here?” 

Jonouchi seemed agitated, almost angry. Mokuba tried to smile it off, but his repressed anger against his brother started to flare up. He stood there, as the temporary CEO of KC, in front of their shared friend (or rival or whatever Jonouchi was to Seto, who actually knew?), and could not even tell him where his own brother went. 

Embarrassment crawled up on Mokuba, as anger and shame climbed closely behind. The uncomfortable sensations spread up his legs and his body to his hands and into his head. Subconsciously, he clenched his fists, straining slightly to maintain his smile. But Jonouchi was not one to be fooled, especially not when it came to body language that expressed anger. 

He walked over to an armchair that was next to the coffee machine, flopped down, tried to comb his own hair with his hands and sighed. “Kiddo, you can tell me, what’s wrong? I can see you’re angry! You can’t fake it with me."

Mokuba frowned, looked down at his own shoes, polished, shiny, and professional. Trembling, he started to silently weep, his mask finally falling off. And then Mokuba started talking. Talking to Jonouchi as if he was his best friend. He talked about all the anger, all the hate, all the feelings of guilt and disappointment. And Jonouchi just listened, showing signs of approval or disapproval and let Mokuba free himself of his bottled up emotions.

* * *

**Numbly overloaded**

“Yes, sure… No... I’ll be fine... no you don’t have to... Oh... Okay... Sure... Alright, you do that, thank you so much!” I sighed into the receiver, looking down at the neatly cleaned tiles of the hospital. 

As soon as I arrived there, I decided to call Ryou, who sounded very exhausted and tired, although he usually got up rather early. I spared him the details about my night and just mentioned Gramps’ issues. Ryou said he would call everyone immediately and they would come over. Otogi excused himself with a personal text message a couple of minutes after, saying that he had to open the Café in the mall, but he would come as soon as his shift was over. Jonouchi called me and asked if it was okay to bring along Mokuba, and I agreed, highly puzzled by _why_ Mokuba was with Jonouchi in the first place. 

Walking to the counter, the receptionist guy took my personal data and instructed me to go to the IC building, which took me a good ten minutes to find. There were 12 separate parts of the hospital, each with several floors and descriptions on how to get where. I passed a geriatric ward, the x-ray area and some other wards I can’t remember the names of. Upon arriving there, I was asked to wait outside in one of the very uncomfortable light yellow chairs since the surgery was still on-going. Gramps probably would not be able to talk for a couple of hours or even days after the brain surgery. Another couple of minutes passed, and nothing happened. I gripped around my cellphone with sweaty hands, frustrated, sad, and confused. I started talking to myself. More accurately, I tried talking to you out of habit, but of course, no answer came. 

“Atem _, mou hitori no boku_ , I just wish you were here...” I sighed aloud. I heard a faint shuffling next to me, and I flinched. 

Looking up, I saw a girl sitting next to me. She had long red hair, a snotty nose and her arms tightly squeezed around a worn-out looking bunny plush animal. Between sniffles and mumbling to her toy, she peeped up. 

“You’re kind of staring at me…” she mumbled. Her light brown eyes were bloodshot and puffy, but her gaze pierced right through me. The ache one pair of eyes could show has never been that apparent to me. All of a sudden, she turned around, as if she was being called. She jumped out of her chair, looked me dead in the eye, and before she started walking away from me she said “My daddy hurt mommy really bad, and now she is not breathing anymore. I hope dad will pay for this.” Before I could even respond, she had already headed off, and once she was around the corner, I couldn’t help but feel bad for her. 

“Hey, Yuugi, were you looking at something?” Flinching again, I took my focus away from the empty chair and turned my attention towards the voice. Honda, fully dressed in some athletic street wear stood in front of me, a concerned smile on his face. 

“Eh, there was this girl here just now, you maybe saw her when – “ 

“Yuugi, bud, there was no girl here, but maybe I just missed her. I’ve only been here for a couple of minutes after searching the wards forever, man.” Struggling with many different kinds of thoughts that clashed together, I wondered if the girl was even real or just another fragment of my distorted mind. 

Honda sat down next to me, patting my shoulder in an almost painful way. “So, is there any news about your grandfather? What exactly happened? Ryou didn’t quite tell me much on the phone except it was an emergency and it involved your grandfather being hurt.” 

I wished that I had a coherent reply to give, but my mind was still busy trying to collect itself and not break down at the first question. I huffed, looked down at my boots that I bought when I was still with _Atem,_ and frantically tried to find an adequate response for Honda. The great thing about him was that he understood if someone needed time to collect their thoughts. He always came across as the tough one, the bad boy, but his personality is one of the most gentle there ever was. Trying to hold back tears, I inhaled, but it sounded more like a desperate sniffle to avoid crying like a baby. 

“It’s okay bud, we’ll get through this together, all of us, as always.” Honda reassured me. 

‘As always’. If they only knew how little we went ‘through this together’ after _Atem_ left… It made me almost smile in painful agony. Before I could prepare an answer or try to choke out an almost fake ‘thank you’ for taking care of me so much (he does, I just never accept it), I heard Ryou, Jonouchi and Mokuba strutting down the hallway, trying to keep their voices down. Of course, with Jonouchi, that rarely ever worked. They arrived, Ryou looked especially tired and Mokuba had quite the red nose, but I didn’t pay any second thoughts to why this could be. 

Suddenly, I heard a crack inside of my head. A literal crack. Ryou was talking to me but I did not listen. I just heard that one atrocious crack, like a bone snapping in two. And with that snap, I felt my posture, my role, my mask, my… everything just slightly shift. The very prominent thought of losing yet another person crucial to my life made me feel pain, both for the current situation as well as pain for past losses. _Atem_ was gone and gramps might never wake up again from that surgery, just because he fell down some stupid stairs...

Feeling a hand on my shoulder, but also not feeling anything at all, I looked up to see Ryou silently checking on me with worry in his eyes. Tears were already running down my cheeks, and immediately everyone moved closer to me, trying to touch my shoulders in comforting ways or looking at me understandingly. I sniffled, trying to hold back more tears, but they wouldn’t stop. “I can’t... deal with this anymore... Guys it’s... Not only a –“ 

Ryou interrupted me with a noise that I couldn’t really define. 

“We know, Yuug’” Jonouchi replied, nodding and going through his hair with his hand that wasn’t resting on my other shoulder. 

Only Mokuba looked slightly confused. As Jonouchi was seemingly searching for words, his eyes looking off to the side, mind deep in his thoughts, Honda took the lead and continued for him. He pulled his sleeves up and let one hand rest on his hip, while the other was nervously scratching along his stubbly chin. 

“Yuugi, we all noticed something weird in your behaviour for the past few months. Some say that it goes back even to after... You know... he left. Anzu said that it all really started when he came back for a short while. You... erm.'' Avoiding eye contact with me, Honda looked over to Ryou, who was standing in front of me. He tried mumbling some more words, but I couldn’t understand any of them. 

I felt my legs go numb and my hands start to sweat. They knew? How much did they know? Were they angry with me? I felt my breathing start to quicken, increasing along with my heart rate. The blood froze but simultaneously rushed through my whole body, as my mind started screaming at me. The legs that I could barely feel started shaking uncontrollably, and my breaths were now coming out in hitches and sobs. Ryou squeezed my shoulder, trying to pull me out of this state. I started to crumble, the whole mess of a human I am now on full display for the world to see. I did not have the strength to hide it anymore. I felt like a complete failure. 

Holding a hand over my stomach and one over my mouth, Ryou was the first to understand this situation. He grabbed me by the shoulder and literally dragged me across the hospital to the nearest bathroom. It all happened so quick and so slow at the same time that I didn’t even know how I ended up in front of the toilet, retching and vomiting drily. While Ryou held my bangs to save them from the saliva that sometimes came up with dry heaving, he reassured me that there was nothing wrong with me and that I was allowed to feel that way. After what felt like an eternity, knowing full well that my perception of time was completely distorted, Ryou helped me rinse out my mouth, patted my face dry and helped me stand. As we exited, I saw Jonouchi, Honda and a very pale and baffled looking Mokuba standing outside of the restroom, trying to reassure a nurse that I was okay. Ryou guided me to the next chair, which I vaguely noted was a light pink. I sat down with an exhausted sigh. Ryou sat next to me, pushing aside some strands of wet hair out of my face while occasionally rubbing my back in a soothing manner. 

Everything felt numb. Before Honda could take up the topic again, I gasped. The hushed conversations died as everyone turned around to follow my stare. A doctor walked through the surgical suite doorway, dressed in half of his surgical outfit, no mask, scrub cap or gloves. He looked around the waiting room, mouth pursed in a thin line. I knew he must be searching for me. A wave of nausea hit me again, and I tried to pull myself together a bit more. I swallowed down a gagging sensation in my throat and got up, supported on either side by Ryou and Jonouchi. Honda and Mokuba stood off to the side, Mokuba’s fingers furiously smashing on the touchpad of his phone. The doctor looked at us, and with a nod of recognition, he walked towards us.

**  
  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hewwo <3 Thanks for still sticking around <3.
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3


	7. VII: Painful Dread & A Door and a Crozier

**Painful Dread**

“So Kaiba, are you ready for our wager?” 

“WAGER? I thought we were going to play a game! How did you lure me into your sick game? Yuugi... or Other Yuugi or whatever, tell me again why I agreed to this?” 

I did not know how to respond to Kaiba. I felt numb to this whole situation. Never in all possible dimensions did I dream of Kaiba successfully travelling here to duel me resulting in Osiris being summoned, finding the whole situation amusing in a twisted sort of way prompting him to give me a chance to go back but also sneakily putting Mokuba’s life at stake and holding Kaiba hostage. Although, if I were an Egyptian God and some mortal rushed through time and space to duel a long dead Pharaoh, I’d probably be really agitated as well. 

“Kaiba, Osiris threatened to kill Mokuba, and he showed us that he is more than capable of doing so. You know how strong the God cards are. I do not understand why that is connected with me returning to your modern world...” I answered evenly, trying to sound professional. However, my body language must have given me away as Osiris started chuckling. 

“Oh come on,  _ Pharaoh Atem _ , can’t you just accept the grace of a God? Is this not what you wanted? Did you know that I have not included one condition? If Kaiba loses, you will have to go down with me, you know, to where the more unsavoury people are.” I bit my lower lip trying to not snap at Osiris. So he wanted me down in what Yuugi would call hell. Probably to be his stupid pet or slave or something. How sick can one Egyptian God get? 

Kaiba snorted, pulling up his shoulder slightly and bowing his head forward while squinting. “Can we just start with this now? I don’t care about all your reasons, I want to go home, and for that I need the cube he snatched. Also, if Mokuba is in any danger...” Kaiba growled.

Osiris' taunting chuckle became a full-blown laugh, one that probably would almost be considered as the laughter of a lunatic. “Kaiba, Kaiba, Kaiba... Mokuba is not in any danger so long as you win the game.” 

The floor disappeared, and both Kaiba and I braced for our inevitable fall. I wondered briefly if Kaiba was thinking about the Duel against Lumis and Umbra? I certainly did at this point. Although, instead of falling, we floated near the ceiling in a white hallway. From our bird’s eye view, we saw Mokuba. 

Kaiba sighed his relief briefly, but suddenly, he snapped. “What is Mokuba doing with that stupid mutt? And why are they in the Domino hospital?” 

I tried not to look down yet as I suspected it was none of my business. But Kaiba’s agitated snap about Jounouchi dissolved my willpower, and what I saw took my breath away. My heart felt like it had shattered into a million pieces. Yuugi was sitting in a light pink chair. His face. His eyes. Everything about him looked... distorted. Wrong. Gulping, I tried to look away quickly. It was so unexpected and so excruciatingly painful to look at  _ Aibou _ \- I felt like if I had a heartbeat it would have stopped. Luckily, or maybe unfortunately, we were not given any more time to look down upon the mortal realm of Yuugi’s world. The scene vanished.

Kaiba, unsatisfied with Osiris’ quick glance, tapped his left foot and crossed his arms in agitation. “What is Mokuba doing with these dweebs, and why do he and Yuugi look like shit?” 

Osiris grinned maliciously, rubbing his bandaged hands together as he strolled for a couple of meters back and forth, casually. 

“Oh, dear Kaiba, I guess you have to find out for yourself, if you ever make it out here alive. Now, let me explain the rules of the game, dearest  _ Pharaoh Atem _ , are you with us?” 

I quickly blinked, for I was not ‘with them’, as one would say. My eyes were glued to the floor. I felt my eyebrows knit into a frown and my mouth twitch nervously. “I am here with you.” I barely mumbled. 

Kaiba inhaled, probably wanting to say something to me or snap me out of my thoughts, but Osiris snapped his fingers and caught Kaiba’s attention. 

“Then let me explain the rules to you, my friend. It is a fairly easy game, and there is not only gambling involved, but also knowledge. I will present you a set of three sarcophagi. Two of them will have what you call Duel Monsters in them, while the other holds your dimensional cube. If you open one with the cube inside, you win the round. If you get a Duel Monster, you will have to do your best to come up with a strategy to beat it. If not, someone will die, might it be back in your timeline or here in the afterlife. People who die in the afterlife will go to what some would call hell. I desperately need new entertainment down there. If you win five rounds, then you will be granted passage to go home, as will you, Atem, and Mokuba will stay safe, for now. If you lose, Mokuba as well as Atem will come along with me. And you, Kaiba, will be sent back, but at what price, I wonder?” 

Before Osiris could start taunting Kaiba or me again, Kaiba just huffed, nodded and rolled his eyes. “I get it, you old pile of bandages. How do I summon Monsters to crush your pathetic sarcophagi creatures?” 

Osiris looked at me and I knew. I slowly walked over to my throne and took the DiaDhank from behind it. Kaiba looked at me, rather surprised. 

“How am I supposed to use this ancient piece of junk?” Again, he rolled his eyes in obvious annoyance. I was pretty sure Osiris would make Kaiba use parts of his Soul, to exhaust him during the rounds. 

“Well, good question. You are going to use something that is similar to your Ba, except it is your own pure soul energy. See, it’s like the piece you have on the side of your head. Instead of using your so-called willpower, you have to use your soul-energy, and it is very very limited, dear friend. So be careful when using it. Can we start now? If so, Atem, I mean,  _ Pharaoh Atem _ ,  _ half-god and full-king _ , would you mind sitting and staying on the throne after you have given Kaiba your DiaDhank?”

* * *

**A Door and a Crozier**

Upon arriving at the excavation site, Marik didn’t know what to expect. Several people in typical archaeologist uniforms as well as locals in neutral coloured tunics were babbling wildly in different languages and intensities. Marik tightened the grip around his phone. Shortly after, it vibrated, and upon looking at the screen, he saw that Ishizu was calling him. Without any hesitation, he picked up. 

“Ishizu, hi! I’m at the site! Where are you guys?”

“Marik, I’m in the white tent. Please join me as soon as you can!”

With that, Ishizu hung up and Marik looked out for the tent. The sun was already rising in the distance and his eyes had a hard time adjusting to the bright light from the sunrise. After years of living under the earth’s surface, he still sometimes struggled to adjust to light. He spotted the tent and hesitantly walked towards it, carefully trying not to walk too fast or else he would trip. Closer and closer to the tent, Marik suddenly felt the headache flaring up again... but he wasn’t angry, nor did he feel like passing out. It was an eerie feeling, strange, familiar, but different. Giving it no further thought and just passing it off as needlessly worrying about a migraine again, he entered the tent to see Ishizu, a man, and a rather scared woman sitting on some camping chairs. Ishizu was trying to comfort the woman who was close to bursting into tears. 

“Hey, Ishizu! And good day to you two!” Marik called.

Ishizu turned around, her long hair flailing around her and her jewellery, giving the softest sounds of metal rubbing against skin and hair. She still wore her signature long white linen dress, though it now had an asymmetrical cut, as the left side was shorter than the right. Her face lit up the moment she saw Marik standing there in a light blue, cropped shirt and some dark blue jeans with way too many pockets. 

“Marik!” she exclaimed, eyeing him from top to bottom. “I should probably have stated that you should dress accordingly to help with the dig. I apologize! I am glad to see you! Did you feel the earthquake all the way over in the city?” Marik’s expression was rather puzzled, but he nodded, frowning ever so slightly. 

Ishizu then turned around to reassure the sitting couple, explaining that Marik was to be trusted and that he would not judge them if they told him what they saw. Hesitant nodding was received as their answer. Marik eyed the sitting couple and noticed that the woman was unusually pale despite her natural tan. Her dusty hair was a mixture between red and brown. It was put up in a rather messy ponytail, with curly strands falling out left and right. She wore a pair of light brown pants and a green long-sleeve shirt. Her muddy dark brown boots finally convinced Marik that she must be a member of the excavation team that works in the tomb. The guy next to her was paler and had more of a European look to him. His eyes were bright blue and his light blond hair was wild, reaching to his shoulders. He wore a blue shirt and a blue pair of jeans. 

“H...hi.” the girl shyly squeaked. ”My name is Nashiema, and this is my husband, Soeren.” Marik nodded and greeted them back. Ishizu quickly and in her professional manner, took over the lead of the conversation and Marik was not sure if he was about to laugh or cry hearing what she had to narrate.

“Nashiema was recovering some hieroglyphs from a pillar that was not yet fully explored, close to the chamber of the Pharaoh. After Kaiba dug out everything and left it in a rather disordered but usable state, we decided to look for more information about Pharaoh Atem’s life. However, you are the one translating most of the text, so I don’t have to tell you. She felt a cold shiver when she photographed, brushed and cleaned the pillar. Nashiema, would you like to tell my brother what happened next?”

Nervous, Nashiema looked up to Ishizu, and then to Marik. She scratched her arm subconsciously and was obviously uncomfortable with the situation. She then straightened her back a bit and took a deep breath. Her husband rubbed her back, giving her a soothing look. She grabbed his hand and looked at Ishizu again, only to get an affirmative nod to proceed. 

“I felt a chill, right down to my marrow, and at first I brushed it off as a draft or maybe a summer-cold coming on or something. But it didn’t cease and so I started to look around to see where the draft may have come from.” Marik felt his headache get a bit worse as he listened, and he gently rubbed his temples. Ishizu took notice, but didn’t say anything. Nashiema cleared her throat, taking a sip of her very fashionable water bottle covered in little fishes and flowers, and continued. “I passed the part that led to the broken door with the eye of Wdjat. As you maybe know, we did close it off because it was still a rather dangerous place, architecture wise.” 

Marik tilted his head slightly to the side and squinted his eyes, trying to understand the things he was hearing. He wasn’t sure what to think of it yet. He looked at Nashiema, who took a short breather. She seemed even paler than before. Her breathing sped up a bit while she clung to her husband’s hand. 

“I...” she started stuttering “I swear I did not... m... mean to go in there... the barrier tape was gone, and I thought maybe... There was some...one in there.” she started crying, leaning onto her husband. Marik’s headache continued to get worse and Ishizu sighed, a worried look in her eye. 

“Let me finish for you, Nashiema, if that is alright?” Ishizu asked. Nashiema nodded, sniffling into her husband's shoulder. 

Ishizu took a step back and looked Marik directly in the eye. “Nashiema saw that the broken door was rearranged. According to her recounting, the door was black, and instead of the eye of Wdjat there was a crozier on the very top of it. She also claimed she saw a person wearing bandages and bleeding heavily, but that person disappeared suddenly.” Questioning her own statement, Ishizu turned again to Nashiema, who had calmed down a bit. 

“No offense, but may I ask how that person disappeared?” Marik blurted out, somewhat hesitant to believe Nashiema's story. 

“I heard a chuckle, and then the person simply walked through the door, and then they were gone.” Nashiema managed to say before starting to sob more heavily. 

Marik glared at Ishizu, trying to ask her without speaking if she believed that this tale could be true. As they were siblings, Ishizu had no issues reading Marik’s unspoken question and answered him accordingly. 

“I do not doubt any word that Nashiema has said. She came running out here afterwards, horrified. She passed out right in front of the tent. I first wanted to send Rishid down to check on it. Maybe there are dangerous substances in that room that cause hallucinations. So I asked you to join me here and we will go there together, the three of us, and stay in contact with a medical team on field through walkie-talkies.” Her words were final, and Marik did not see any chance he could refuse or talk himself out of this situation, nor did he want to, despite his headache. Marik thanked Nashiema and her husband Soeren for their honesty and for their strength, wished them all the best and walked out of the tent. Rishid was standing there already, carrying a dark-green bag around his shoulder. 

Shortly after, Ishizu also walked out of the tent, leading her brothers towards the entrance of the tomb. They walked straight for the room with the door, not knowing what to expect, but eager to find out.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are done for today ! <3
> 
> Thanks for reading^-^
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	8. VIII: Recognition & Escalation

**Recognition**

“So therefore, we will have to put him under heavy sedation soon. That is if he doesn’t calm down. As you’re the only relative present right now, if you want to, you can see him, but be prepared. It would be completely understandable if you did not want to do this.” 

I nodded weakly. Maybe seeing Gramps will help him remember how he used to be and pull him out of his confusion? “No, I want to see him. Is there no possible way other people can join?”. Shaking his head apologizing, the doctor’s mentioned that they had a one-visitor only policy due to prior experiences. I nodded, turning to my friends. “Please, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me, but you have work and other stuff to do. I could not be more grateful for your support”. They all seemed reluctant but understanding, and slowly either hugged me or patted my shoulder before leaving together. “

I’m ready.” I faked a steady tone, not actually feeling ready at all. Especially not after my previous incident where I broke down and nearly puked my soul out. The doctor guided me to an isolated single-bed room. I could hear a loud voice come from inside. I feared it was Gramps, and quickly my fear was more than confirmed. What I saw when I entered the room was a mess. Gramps was sitting in bed, furiously gesturing towards a nurse, throwing insults at her and cursing like I never heard of him. The doctor quickly stepped up to the nurse, signalling for me to stay at the entrance for now. 

“Mutou-san, your grandson is here, he is very worried about you.” Sugoroku went quiet for a second and glared to his right, right into my face. 

My heart ached. 

This was not my grandfather, by any means. He then ripped his eyes open, and started yelling at me, “Who are you and who dare you to impersonate Pharaoh Atem you weakling! Leave my room! Leave my country you imposter, you traitor! If you are my grandson I will immediately denounce my lineage!” 

I blinked several times and tried to desperately unhear what my own grandfather just yelled at me. I wanted to excuse myself, turn around and leave, but the escalating situation made me stay where I was, rooted to the ground like a tree in the forest. Gramps tried to get up. He tried to rip out the IV in his left hand, and very much so violently shoved the nurse aside, trying to get to me. Luckily the doctor rang the emergency bell. A ton of incoherent insults were spat at the doctor by Gramps, and my heart shattered even more than I thought it could. I didn’t notice I was already sobbing when the door behind me was pulled open viciously and I was being shoved to the side. Still unable to move, I had to witness how two men had to almost violently drag my grandfather back into bed, and they put restraints on his arms, legs, head, and around his belly. It was an atrocious view, and if it weren’t for the adrenaline, I probably would have passed out. In one swift motion, a new IV was inserted in Gramp’s right hand. The doctor proceeded to rush outside of the room, only to re-enter it by himself quickly with a syringe, full of milky white liquid. He then proceeded to inject the full content of said syringe into the IV. I had to shield my eyes in order to not pass out for real. 

After a couple of seconds, Sugoroku’s voice, yelling, cursing, and his agitated movements calmed down, and he fell into a slumber. His breathing was quiet. Suddenly I felt a hand on my right shoulder, and I let myself relax slightly. It was the doctor, and he had a very apologetic look in his eyes. 

“You have no idea how sorry I am for this incident. Is there anything we can do to support you?” 

Just beyond the doctor, I saw the three nurses in the room all looked rather out of breath standing by Gramp’s bedside. Seeing my Gramps laying there, sedated and fixated, I wanted to cry even more, but my tears ceased to fall. He was lying there listlessly, looking like a dry crumpet that had been left out in the sun. The female nurse hustled around with some equipment, put the pulse and oxygen monitoring around his right middle finger, and inserted a new IV on the left hand, just to be extra sure. The doctor left my side, taking my silence as my answer. He discussed something with one of the nurses, probably how to keep my grandfather sedated. I prayed to everything that came to my mind that I would never have to experience anything like that again. Deep down I knew that I wouldn’t have to anymore.

Excusing myself quietly, I rushed to the bathroom to splash some cold water in my face. I fished my phone out of my pocket to inform my mother about what was happening, no matter what wicked time they had over there in Europe, but my phone’s battery was dead. Sighing, checking if I had my keys, my dead phone and my wallet, I walked back towards the room where Gramps was. In the hallway, I almost bumped into the doctor. 

“Ah, Mister Mutou! Is there anything I can help you with?” 

I hesitated, because I did not want to know the possible answers to the questions I had. Deciding it was only mature and needed to ask, I inhaled slowly, and asked, “What are the chances that he will never recover?” 

Even though the doctor must have expected this kind of question, he still was struck by some discomfort. He checked his charts, clicked several times with his pen in his white coat pocket and then quietly said, “This may sound unprofessional, but from my point of view I cannot say when or if his condition will change again. There may be several reasons as to why Mutou-san started acting the way he did. I do expect it is caused by the brain surgery, but it could also be just a side effect of the narcotics. Rest assured, we are trying our very best to help him in any way we can.” 

Of course, this was the answer I was expecting, and with every word of his answer I started feeling less and less interested in being alive. Gramps would never be able to come home this way. “Can I stay with him as long as he is asleep?” I asked, exhaling exhaustedly. 

“Yes, absolutely, if there is anything you or your grandfather needs, please immediately ring the bell. The red one is for emergencies, as you unfortunately had to experience, but there is also another one for less grave incidents. It may take a tiny while longer until a nurse arrives, but I repeat, rest assured, we are trying our best!”

I nodded, my shoulders tense. Somehow I managed to thank him for his dedication, and with that the doctor was already off to his next case. It was hard to enter the room again where Gramps was, but nevertheless could I not leave him alone now. 

I took a deep breath, rubbed my right hand against the top part of my left arm to somewhat comfort myself and entered the room. He was still there, sleeping like a log, calm, but also unnaturally grey. I decided to sit in a smaller armchair and as soon as I was settled, I suddenly was hit with a wave of fatigue. Everything was so much. Too much. I wish I could just sleep it away. Or maybe sleep forever. With that thought lingering in mind, I somehow managed to fall asleep in the armchair.

* * *

**Escalation**

“How do you mere mortals say it? Duel? Something along those lines?” Osiris exclaimed while laughing out loud, causing Seto to audibly clench his teeth in anger. My frustration also reached a boiling point. As soon as I sat on my throne, some heavy magical presence made clear that I could not get up again until the game was over. With his exhausting and crashing laughter, Osiris summoned three beautiful sarcophagi. I stared on, imagining my body inside of one for 3000 years, the thought coming to my mind that I probably would look as ugly as Osiris did now, all rotten bandages and not much of a human body anymore. Chuckling at the thought, I wished that I could share this thought with Yuugi. 

Kaiba stood in front of those three sarcophagi and was not sure which one to pick. He seemingly eyed all of them from afar, and for a second I thought I saw his gear shaking off more of the dark dust than it did before. “And you are sure you are not just going to rearrange the insides of the sarcophagus I chose to your pleasure? You may be the God of the Dead and all, but you seem also like a shady gambler who doesn’t know how to play fair.” Kaiba said, fierce but also noticeably lost in another trail of thoughts. 

“You have my godly word upon not changing what is inside.” Osiris plainly answered. 

I wondered for a minute why Osiris actually chose to show up in such an ugly form? He was the God of the ‘Dead’, and he certainly tried to also look like one, but from the carvings that were on tablets, he was always as a rather decent looking human with his two utensils and some sort of hat... I have somehow forgotten what they were called in my time. K

Kaiba paced back and forth, and then he stopped again when he reached the very left sarcophagus. He had already got rid of his blue fancy duel disk and was wearing my DiaDhank now, which I did not mind. If anyone was worthy of using it, it would be him. Osiris grinned and the sarcophagus opened. Once its contents were revealed, his sheer disappointment was clear. Kaiba had chosen the right sarcophagus, the dimension cube inside glowing red. 

Suddenly, Kaiba turned to look at me, almost as if he wanted to reassure me that I was all right. I nodded sternly, trying to not show that I was indeed fairly tense, mostly because I was of no use and only used as a toy by Osiris. 

Kaiba grinned victoriously back at Osiris. “That’s one round I already beat you, what are you waiting for, let’s continue. Or are you having second thoughts of being so unbeatable, you excuse of a God?” 

Clearly offended by Kaiba’s words, Osiris snarled, and three new sarcophagi appeared. I was rather taken aback by how deep Kaiba’s insult cut Osiris and thought that maybe he was really having doubts considering his plan. That, or his pride was as big as Kaiba’s, and they both hated losing. It was probably that. 

Kaiba again, still with a slight smirk on his face, walked from sarcophagus to sarcophagus. Inspected them closely, but didn’t touch any of them. Osiris tapped his foot impatiently, how strangely human of him. 

After a while, Kaiba stopped in front of the sarcophagus in the middle, pointed at it and turned his head towards Osiris. “This one will do.” 

Osiris glared at him and then at the sarcophagus, and it opened slowly by itself. One of them was going to lose their mind, I thought to myself, and it was not going to be Kaiba. Osiris growled in frustration and disappointment. Inside of the sarcophagus was, yet again, the dimension cube. Kaiba clapped his hands together, turned towards me, smirking. His ego was probably the size of Khemet and the whole afterlife. Osiris didn’t pass any commentary on Kaiba’s second victorious round, instead, he grunted. 

Kaiba was about to yell something, probably insulting knowing him, in Osiris direction, but became slightly irritated when Osiris disappeared before his eyes. “Oh, you chickened out, God? I did not know that anything beyond weak human beings had the capacity to be cowards!” he laughed maliciously, and turned to see three new sarcophagi. 

“Next round.” A cold and omnipresent voice echoed through the throne room. It sent shivers down my spine, and by Kaiba’s body language, he felt similar. The three new sarcophagi did not look anything like the ones before. Instead, they were a shade of very dark grey. 

“Oh, onto the next round, I see. Lovely, even a new colour. Didn’t know you were both a fashion god and a coward. That’s right, hide your face as you lose against the great Seto Kaiba!” Kaiba walked back and forth, basically spitting the sentences at Osiris. This time he took longer, as if he wasn’t so sure after all. I only could sit there and watch, and it was atrocious. The Puzzle around my neck was not responding or giving off any energy, so I was really just forced to observe this spectacle of two proud creatures, one godly, one who thinks he is godly, gambling over my life and the lives of many others. In my palace, my home, my throne room. 

Although, even this was very much my palace, nothing here felt like home. With every day away from the world Yuugi lives in, I felt more like a stranger to my own world. I loved my family, I loved everyone here, but it felt like I never got the chance to really just live, like a mortal, walking my own path, deciding my own actions. 

With a loud knock I was pulled out of my thoughts. Kaiba knocked, repeatedly, on the left sarcophagus. “Can you open it already? I told you I chose this one! Come on you big baby! Stay true to your word!”

The room went cold. I felt like I was breathing in ice, and Kaiba must have noticed too, as he turned around and faced me, an unspoken question in his eyes. Osiris’ lunatic laughter was heard, and the sarcophagus opened slowly. Slowly, Osiris rose from Kaiba’s chosen Sarcophagus, and both Kaiba and I didn’t have any other option than to just stare at the scene. 

“Oh, come on! You cheated!”. Kaiba rolled his eyes and braced himself for a fight, staring at his DiaDhank, not really knowing what to do with it. Osiris didn’t wait and lunged quickly at Kaiba. He just about managed to jump aside at the last second. 

“Hey! This is not fair!” he shouted. 

“We are playing by MY RULES and I will tear everything you own apart for cheating!” 

Feeling agitated by the imminent threat, I tried to get up. My body screamed in protest, and I had to use so much force that I almost felt like fainting. In the end, I managed to stand. Why did I not attempt that earlier? I tried to run towards Kaiba, but something hit me on the side, scratched along my arm and made me tumble onto my knees. Kaiba turned around, his expression unreadable. 

“How in the hell am I supposed to use this stupid device?” He yelled at me. “And WHERE is my DuelDisk? I can easily erase thi – “ Before he could finish his sentence, he bent over in pain, coughing up some saliva tinged pink with blood. Osiris must have punched him hard into the stomach. Kaiba was trying to not fall over while also trying to inhale any air. 

“Fuck.” he only grunted, and took the DiaDhank off his wrist, throwing it into my direction. I tried to get up or at least crawl towards it. Osiris was obviously faster than me, and kicked it to the next corner, with literal god speed. 

“I will take BOTH of you down! You will never experience one more day of joy or light, or ANYTHING that pleases you.” 

His voice had become more guttural and sounded distorted, less human like. His looks had also changed, but I could barely make out what exactly changed. He was moving more like a shadow than anything else. I grabbed the Puzzle, hoping that it would somehow sense the dread and respond. Before receiving an answer from my Puzzle, Osiris appeared in front of me, and I looked up, blood running down my right arm. He grabbed the puzzle by its leather cord and yanked me up, leaving me to grapple with the cord as I was pulled forward. He looked into my eyes, and I felt my life force being sucked out slowly. My vision was going blurry, I felt dizzy and a heavy sleepiness was welcoming me to hug it back as it crawled around me. Almost caving, I spat into Osiris’ face. He flinched, but then started to grin viciously. 

“Wrong move, _Pharaoh_.” 

I didn’t care anymore, because if I was going down, then I was going down making it hard for him. With a bursting ray of shining light, my Puzzle started glowing. Osiris, covering his face with one arm, tried to shake the Puzzle to stop it from glowing. He didn’t notice Kaiba approaching him. With a loud and almost comedic sounding ‘bonk’, Kaiba slammed his DuelDisk onto Osiris’ head, making the God stumble and disappear into thin air again. 

“Where the hell did that piece of shit go now?” Kaiba asked the cold and empty room. Finally getting air into my lungs, I coughed and tried to regain my posture. Kaiba also handed me the DiaDhank, and I put it on while being on my knees. 

All of a sudden, an arm was grabbing me and to my surprise Kaiba helped me up. “Thank you, Kaiba...” I said, voice still hoarse from Osiris’ manipulation. The sleepiness didn’t fully leave yet, but I felt strong enough to stand on my own. 

“How do we take him down?” Kaiba turned to me, his face stern and his eyes ice-cold. He was ready to battle. I hesitated. I have not fought gods in this way before. This was no more card game, no more standard magic, and I had no clue how to make Osiris lose. I also did not know how to make him keep his promise in case we won.

The Puzzle started glowing brightly, and before both Kaiba and I had time to think of a solution, two new creatures appeared in front of us, visibly enraged.

**  
  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the chapter!
> 
> I really hope you liked it <3.
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	9. IX: Door to another Life & Heaven and Earth

**Door to another Life**

The way down to the room that used to house the door to the afterlife was difficult to map out without knowing exactly where to go. Luckily Ishizu memorized everything perfectly well, since she worked very close with the people of the excavation site. As they descended, the air got colder and smelled a bit muskier. Marik’s headache got worse to the point where he had to stop and hold his head with one hand while supporting himself against a pillar. 

“Marik, are you okay?” Rishid asked firmly. 

Marik knew he would not accept any lies. “Yeah, I have just had this incredible headache since I arrived at the excavation site. Probably just a migraine.” Marik said while laughing lightly. Ishizu and Rishid were immediately on edge, as they remembered vividly what may happen if the headaches worsened. 

“Did anything agitate you?” Ishizu asked, concern in her voice. She looked in the direction of the room they were going for. Marik slightly shook his head, carefully, and then continued to take slow steps towards Ishizu, only to lose his balance. Before he stumbled, Rishid was at his side to support him. 

“We need to get you out of here.” When Rishid spoke it always sounded rather monotone, never questioning nor ordering, just stating facts. He wore a light brown cloak, similar to the purple ones that the ‘hunters’ wore back in the day. Its fabric scratched against Marik’s arm, and even though he made a very clear noise of discomfort, Rishid didn’t let go. 

“I’m fine,” Marik said, exhausted by the hammering pain in the back of his head, “please, for the love of Ra, can we just get there?” 

Ishizu turned around, looking at her brothers in deep concern. “Something doesn't feel right.” She turned around again to keep walking, this time more cautious and slow, so that Rishid supporting Marik could follow with ease.

Standing in front of the ripped barrier tape, Ishizu bent forward to inspect it thoroughly. She crouched to check the floor, sometimes closing her eyes to maybe feel something. Not having the Millennium Necklace didn’t mean she entirely lost her sense of intuition. When she got up again, a sudden shiver struck her whole body. She could tell Marik’s headache was still fairly bad, but it didn’t seem to worsen and he was able to walk on his own again, though Rishid stayed very close the whole time, just in case. She exhaled, the room before her seemed darker than she remembered. 

“Marik?” she asked. “Are you okay?” Marik nodded. 

“I will enter first. Ishizu, stay with Marik.” Rishid announced. 

Rishid entered the room while Ishizu followed, holding Marik by his left arm. Armed with flashlights, the light could not fully combat the eeriness of the room as they approached something that resembled the big door to the afterlife. 

“I thought the door broke completely when the grave collapsed after Pharaoh Atem left?” Marik’s question sounded faint and weak, and Ishizu was now supporting most of his body weight as his knees were threatening to give in. Rishid reached into his bag, taking out a large flashlight that was used to lighten up big tablets or areas of pillars or walls when translating hieroglyphs on the spot. He placed it down a couple of meters away from the door, and turned the light on. 

As he looked up, gasping, he stumbled back and barely kept his balance. Ishizu let out a small shriek and Marik ripped his eyes open while his mouth followed suit, no sound coming out. A door had appeared, but it did not at all resemble the door with the Eye of Horus on it. This door had an ashen tone and looked dirty, way darker than the original door. It seemed to exude something that felt similar to the draining sensation of the shadow realms. Nashiema was right, Ishizu thought, there was a crozier on top of the door, though it looked rotten and broken. Rishid slowly walked back to stand in front of Ishizu and Marik, taking a protective stance more subconsciously than anything. 

“I have never heard or read of anything like that.” Marik expressed slowly, his voice giving away his pain, “but this looks like the crozier of Osiris on the top there, does it not?” Squinting his eyes, Marik took a moment to make sure what he saw was actually real. 

“Yes, this is in fact Osiris’ crozier. I wonder what it is supposed to mean? Can any of you read the hieroglyphs on the door?” Ishizu’s voice expressed a sudden distress, since she seemingly was not able to decipher what those meant. “I can’t make sense of them.” Marik admitted, trying to read the weird arrangements of hieroglyphs in any direction or interpretation possible. 

With a sudden shift, the setting changed and the three siblings felt a thick, dark fog form around them. The door did not open, but there was some sort of big mirror visible on it now, as if it was a magnifying glass to another world. Marik, his headache slowly fading, made his way towards the door. He was closely followed by his brother and sister, both concerned about his condition and the situation. As he approached, his eyes went even wider in shock while Ishizu and Rishid frowned. 

“By Ra, is that the Pharaoh?! And is that KAIBA?” he yelled, as he saw two figures lying on the floor across the door-mirror, unconscious. 

“Is this a vision from the past? From the future?” Ishizu mumbled to herself. Meanwhile, Marik instinctively tried to reach through the mirror, but the only thing that happened was him slamming his hand on the door behind the mirror, causing him to curse as pain shot through his arm.

“Whatever this is, we have to inform Yuugi and his friends about this! Maybe someone is in danger, may it be in this life or in the afterlife.” 

Ishizu was right, Marik thought, and without hesitation he grabbed his walkie-talkie to contact the medical team. No one answered, only static met his ear. He was about to turn it off when strange sounds started to emanate from the device. He heard clashing sounds mixed with voices. Rain, crying, laughing, thunder. But the most chilling sounds were the distorted screams. A surge of panic took hold, and Marik threw the walkie-talkie onto the ground, causing it to shatter on the floor. 

“What was that for?” Rishid asked, slightly surprised. 

“Did none of you hear that? There were weird noises coming out of it!” 

He felt his sister’s eyes on him, yet again concerned. “There was nothing...” She answered, eyeing him up and down. The room started to light up again (as much as this was possible), and the mirror-like front of the door was gone. “We have to leave and call Yuugi. Right now.” Marik’s words were final, and they grabbed all their belongings and rushed out of the tomb.

* * *

**Heaven and Earth**

Dumbstruck. Dumbstruck was literally the only word I could think of. I stared on as two unknown figures appeared in front of us. One resembled a woman, with a sheer, long silvery dress. Her skin was a wild mixture of pastel colours that resembled the sky. Her white hair looked like it was the softest cotton ever created and almost reached the ground. Her female features were very visible, at least from her back. Around her swirled clouds, it was as if a light fog had appeared to envelop her. Next to her stood another figure, resembling a very athletic male. His skin was brown and covered with streaks that made it look like his skin was the bark of a tree, yet its surface was smooth. He wore some sort of headpiece in his curly short hair. It looked similar to mine in shape, but instead of gold and the eye of Horus carved into it, it was made of grass, wooden pieces, grains, and maybe even some animal antlers. His chest was bare atop flowy linen pants, the sceptre in his hand morbidly reminding me of animal bones. 

All of a sudden, it all made sense and I dropped to my knees, this time not caring if I knelt on one or fell onto both. Before I fully dropped though, because it was our only hope, I pulled Kaiba down roughly. I could tell he wanted to snarl at me for doing so, but his intelligence told him better. Relieved as I realized that he would stay down, I let him go and bowed my head as the two figures turned around to face us.

“Pharaoh Atem, Seto Kaiba,” a very faint female voice spoke, “you know who we are, I assume?” 

Kaiba, who surprisingly had his head bowed as well, shifted ever so slightly to shoot me a questioning look. In the most graceful and respectful way I could, I answered, making sure that Kaiba was paying attention. 

“The day I will not recognize Geb, God of the Earth and Nut, Goddess of the Sky is the day I will cease to be worthy of wearing anything but a slave’s garment.” My voice shook slightly, as I never imagined seeing the two gods who created the sun in our religion stand in front of me, appearing in human form, speaking to us and not down at us. 

The male God remained silent, and I could only guess he did because his voice was too strong to bear. Nut held out her hands. 

“Please, we allow you to stand.” As we slowly got up, she proceeded to talk. “This is a serious matter. Most of the gods have been shaken by Osiris’ actions. He used to be the God of the entire afterlife, and we cannot to this day explain why he chose to betray his own kind and leave to rest at the _pet_ . He does not allow any more transitions to the _duat_. This has us concerned, and recent actions showed that his pride must have blinded his soul.”

Kaiba just shook his head in disbelief and rubbed his temple with his hand. I almost did the same, but then remembered that I was representing the afterlife of Khemet. Encouraging me to speak my thoughts, and after I cleared my still sore throat, I managed to speak up with almost the same dignity as before. 

“Creators of the sun, father and mother figure to Osiris, what you state can only make sense in the ears of mortals and humans. Osiris has been gambling with my mortal friend, Kaiba, who undoubtedly defied the laws of force and nature to travel through dimensions. The world he lives in is far more advanced than anything I have ever seen.” I searched for forgiveness in their eyes, and they addressed Kaiba directly.

“Mortal human that goes by the name of Seto Kaiba, tell us, what was your motivation to break our natural laws and seek the Pharaoh?” 

Kaiba seemed rather impressed by the sound of Nut’s voice and by the way she spoke a very ancient sounding sort of Japanese. Do all gods just know how to speak Japanese? 

“I...” for the first time ever, I heard Kaiba stutter in hesitation. Maybe he asked himself why exactly he was coming here, after all? Before I could speculate further, Kaiba already settled to answer the question asked by the gods in front of him. “I could not accept not being the one who defeated the Pharaoh. My anger kept me up at night. It probably still will, after being defeated yet again, but at least it is finally done for good. It was my time to prove I could defeat him.” The way he answered made it sound very much like Kaiba was obsessed with me, but I shook that thought away quickly. 

“Very well.” a very deep bass voice said and the room started shaking slightly for a quick moment. “We have understood your reasoning. Let us further discuss the matters with our son, Os-“, before the god could end his sentence, Kaiba and I flinched at the growling sound that came from everywhere and nowhere all at once. 

“Well, well, look who showed up.” a distorted voice spoke “My dearest parents, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

From there on, everything went so fast and yet so incredibly slow. There was something very disturbing about seeing three massive gods fighting, making the god cards seem like a joke in size and strength.

There were unearthly sounds of clashing, laughter that turned into thunder, voices turning into earthquakes, tears turning into streams of rain. And Kaiba and I were just standing there, somehow not being directly affected. We didn’t really see much. It felt like this fight was occurring in a different sphere. 

I noticed that when Osiris attacked again, my Puzzle lit up and a white golden glimmer surrounded us with a protective glow. Shaking my head in disbelief, wondering if this was some kind of joke or if I was hallucinating. What in the actual afterlife was going on here? Everything started turning, I felt sick and tried to suppress the gag that tried to crawl up my throat. Kaiba inhaled sharply, it sounded almost like a hiss, and then we both almost at the same time dropped to our knees. 

“What the fuck is happening, Pharaoh?” he said, sounding like he was going to throw up any second. I could not find any words to respond, as I felt everything slowly go darker and darker. “Kaiba, I don’t-” Before I could finish my sentence, I saw Kaiba drop to the floor face first and lose consciousness. 

With my last ounce of strength, I tried to reach for him. I failed. I only saw black and heard my Puzzle and my headpiece hit the floor when I fell to my side.

**  
  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow look atchu go :D Still here, huh?
> 
> Thx for reading <3
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	10. X: Dimensional Discharge & Crimson Bath

**Dimensional Discharge**

Jonouchi accompanied Mokuba to the waiting limousine, where Roland was behind the wheel. “And you’re sure you don’t need a ride home, Jou?” 

“Ah yes, I am good. Thanks kiddo!” Jonouchi smiled and waved at Mokuba before walking in a different direction. 

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience Roland, I didn’t mean to make you reschedule everything.” 

“Please, don’t worry about it, this is my job.” Roland reassured as he opened the door and Mokuba got in, grabbing an iced coffee from the mini-fridge in there. While driving, Roland didn’t speak much except for when he answered some business calls, leaving Mokuba alone with his troubled thoughts. 

That morning was a mess for him. He talked to Jonouchi about a lot of his worries, about his past, and probably way past what Seto would kill him for, but at least someone really listened. Yes, Seto was always very worried and caring towards Mokuba, but ever since the other Yuugi appeared, and mostly after he disappeared, Seto developed a very harsh obsession. Mokuba chuckled at the thought that Seto Kaiba, the CEO of Kaiba Corporation created an AI that looked exactly like the Other Yuugi, down to the perfectly coiffed hair. He wasn’t mad at the Pharaoh, it was none of his fault and he was always there to help or support him, even back in Duelist Kingdom, where Yuugi didn’t even really know him that well. 

A rush of sadness jolted up into Mokuba and he tried to hide his tears. His days were now rearranged to be full of meetings, calls, signing files, and you know, casually leading a company at a young age. Maybe he was also crying about how Yuugi acted, Mokuba thought. He never saw the bright Yuugi so broken, mumbling things about that his grandfather was not the only issue, and his friends were so understanding? Was it because Yuugi missed his friend so much? He always seemed down to earth with that Pharaoh dude leaving, but what if that was only a lie? 

Mokuba didn’t have a chance to dig deeper into his mind about his worries concerning Yuugi, as Roland already opened the door for Mokuba to leave the limo, handed him a tissue and politely asked if he wanted to keep his cold and unopened iced coffee can. With a nod, Mokuba apologized. He wiped his face dry, smoothed the creases in his white suit, got out and opened his iced coffee. A drink of the gods, he thought. 

“Roland, I know Seto would not be happy about it, but can you please make sure that all bills for Sugoroku Mutou’s stay and treatment in the hospital are covered and that he is in the very best hands at all times? Please?” It sounded more like a child begging for a candy than a young ‘CEO’ ordering his assistant to take care of something. 

Roland nodded, and for the first time his professional facade cracked a bit. “I think that is a great idea!” Noticing his slip up, he quickly cleared his throat and corrected himself. “Of course, consider it done, sir. Is there anything else you need of me? The next overseas meeting with our business partners in the U.S is scheduled in 27 minutes. I will start rescheduling the rest of the week while you are at it.” 

Grinning, Mokuba was happy that, even though it was highly ‘unprofessional behaviour’, Roland had reassured him that his decision was a good one. “I’m good, thanks. Take a well-earned break and I will see you later!” 

With that Mokuba waved at Roland and entered the KC building, aiming for his office, to take a small break before the meeting. As he passed the receptionist, he apologized to her for Jonouchi’s behaviour. She just laughed it off, waving her hand, saying that this is part of her job and she is glad that Mokuba didn’t get angry with her. All the employees seemed so friendly and fun around Mokuba that he couldn’t understand how Seto could be so harsh with them.

Entering his, well _Seto’s_ office, he sat down and opened his own laptop. As he typed his password, his work phone started ringing. Sighing because he just couldn’t even look at one thing without having ten other things pop up. He picked up, shaking the annoyance away to sound professional. “Kaiba, yes?” 

“Sir Kaiba! We have gotten a signal from the station where Seto Kaiba travelled with the dimension cube. There was a detection of disturbance in the energy flow. There is way too much power going through our systems.”

Mokuba did not fully understand what the male voice had said, but he swallowed anyway. Could that mean Seto would come back or could that have maybe signalled his death? 

“And what am I supposed to do now?” he asked blatantly, not knowing what the hell to actually ask or order. 

The voice on the other side of the line chuckled lightly. “Sir Kaiba, I would suggest that you let us track the energy source. Maybe there is a possible explanation. It almost feels as if instead of the power of one dimension cube going through the system, it’s eight. I just wanted to inform you that–“

With that, the call suddenly broke as lightning struck the building, causing everything to flicker. Mokuba decided that it was for the best if he went down to check for himself. He called Roland, but Roland only reminded him of his meeting with the business partners and that he would inform the department that had called. 

Sighing again, because that must be how busy business people tried to get rid of stress, Mokuba made his way to the conference room to call his associates. He was astonished by the amount of rain and the thunderstorm that was stirring up Domino City. In the room, he found Roland patiently waiting for Mokuba to get ready. He handed him the bluetooth headset and a little pointer for the presentation and pressed the call button on his program. This was going to be a long day, Mokuba thought to himself.

* * *

**Crimson Bath**

I opened my eyes not because I wanted to, but because I thought my back had snapped in half and my arm fell off. Then I noticed that I was still in a rather uncomfortable armchair. Blinking away the burning sensation in my eyes caused by way too much light, I tried to sit up and stretch. Now at least I knew how Gramps felt when his back cracked, and let me tell you, it’s not a nice feeling. 

Speaking of Gramps, I realized too quickly where I was and why I was here, and ripped my eyes open to finally get everything into focus. There was a new doctor and new nurse standing in front of my grandfather, and they seemingly didn’t bother to wake me up. 

“I’m sorry.” I said groggily, and they both looked over to me. 

“Ah, Mr Mutou, my apologies if we woke you up.” the nurse said. The doctor seemed busy checking certain things on Gramps. 

I saw him trying to move, and in an instant, I was up. I almost fainted from getting up too fast. Shaking my head to get rid of the dizziness, I walked over to my still restrained grandfather and saw his face was scrunched up in discomfort. 

“Is he alright?” I hesitantly asked, knowing that I surely was not going to like the answer. 

The doctor nodded weakly, making his semi-long hair fall to the sides of his head. He tried brushing it back again with his hands and turned towards me. “Most of his vitals seem fine, but his pulse is rather high and... as you maybe can see, he seems to be in some discomfort, although he is on pretty heavy painkillers.” 

I was wide awake now, my senses oddly tingling despite feeling numb. It was difficult to focus on the conversation. It was difficult to focus on _anything_ and to not just stand there staring at the white wall waiting for a miracle to happen.

“He will probably need another CT scan soon.” I curled my lips slightly, already feeling sick to my stomach, and just nodded with a heavy head. 

“You should probably get something to eat and drink, Mr. Mutou. It is well past noon.” the nurse said. She was very young, but looked like she had been on the job for ages already. I tried to check my phone, but it was still dead. The nurse noticed and told me that there was a charging station nearby. 

I knew that there was not much more that I could contribute to the situation, so instead I went over to my grandfather, squeezed his hand and mumbled that everything was going to be okay before leaving the room. I heard the thunder and rain from the storm outside the hospital. I walked down the hallway for what felt like an eternity. Feeling like I was walking next to myself, I wasn’t able to process anything. The sensation of not being oneself somewhat felt oddly comforting and relieving. Passing wards that I still couldn’t pronounce properly, I came across a ward with no markings whatsoever. As I casually made my way past it someone yelled straight into my direction.

“OUT OF THE WAY, THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!” 

On autopilot, I jumped out of the way. The door of the nameless ward was now open. A bed covered in blood. On it laid a woman, barely breathing. As the bed rolled past me, I saw that her throat and her wrists were covered in pressure bandages. At the door now stood two women, snickering and bickering at each other for who drove the sad girl so insane that she tried to kill herself. I tried to shake away the picture that was now burned into my brain of a dying young lady on a blood-soaked bed. 

So it was _this_ kind of ward, huh? The one with the crazy people. I probably would feel very comfortable there, I chuckled morbidly. The women eyed me, but quickly the nurses standing behind them called them back., They looked at me with unanswered questions across their faces. Maybe I already looked like I belonged there? After sleeping a couple of hours on a very hard and uncomfortable armchair and having hallucinations all night, I didn’t want to imagine what I looked like. 

I kept going, asking a group of nurses in the hallway about the way to the cafeteria. Turned out it was very close to where the ICU was, so I must have missed it. Maybe it was a sign that I got lost and almost landed inside of the mental health ward? I checked for the box that said ‘free charging’ and found it next to the cashier of the cafeteria. Buying some green tea and a melonpan, I gave the cashier my phone to charge, and sat down in a corner at a window.

The outside looked like an apocalypse and my insides felt like one. It was rather unnatural to be so windy and stormy outside this time of the year, but who knew what would happen with the weather anyway in the next coming decades. I tried to nibble at some of the melonpan, but my stomach still felt upset and I only managed to get one or two bites down without having to search for the next bathroom. The green tea felt refreshing though, and after a few sips I felt more like myself again. It was not a positive change, though, because with coming back to my senses, I also came back to my burning pain and anxiety.

Gramps was probably never going to be his old self. The shop can’t run itself, and I was a useless, weak and broken young man who just wanted to vanish. I stuttered at my own thoughts. Never did I specifically think of ending my life, but now this thought seemed so comforting. Thinking about it, I had everything I needed always close. Sleeping pills that I found when Gramps was having some troubles. Razorblades that I ordered online. Train and subway lines. High rooftops. With every second, the thought of ending my life became stronger and almost intrusive. I found myself quickly forming several plans in my head. The morbid thoughts of maybe being able to see _Atem_ like that made me almost laugh out loud like a lunatic.

“Excuse me young man, are you alright?” a strange voice asked me.

I looked up, not realizing I was picking at my melonpan, arranging the pieces in a circle on the plate. There was absolutely no one standing in front of me. I swore that I heard a voice. I looked down again, only to see the melonpan almost whole again. I blinked in confusion. The melonpan was suddenly soaked in blood. I looked up and down again, still seeing blood, then I saw that my empty tea cup was also filled with blood, nearly clotted. The texture looked awful. Slowly wiping my mouth, there was also blood, and before I could fully process what happened, I was sitting on a bloody chair, with bloody wrists, a bloody throat and blood on the floor. Panicking, I covered my eyes, rubbed them a tad too roughly, and opened them again. There was my melonpan, arranged in a circle, in little pieces, no blood, an empty teacup and wrists fully intact. 

After taking a couple more bites of the melonpan, I decided to go check at what percentage my phone was at. 37%. Getting another green tea I took a magazine at the entrance, made myself comfortable back on the same chair, and I pretended to read. Deep in my thoughts, I tried to figure out why Mokuba was with Jonouchi today and why he was so quiet all the time. His white suit seemed very fancy but he looked so desperately tired. Maybe he knew something about Kaiba’s disappearance? Once my phone gets a full charge, I’ll make sure to text him after calling my parents. Not that they would care anyway. My mum felt like a different person when she was with dad, she appeared cold and constantly on edge. 

Flipping through the magazine, I absent-mindedly read about the newest gossip, tips for great self-care and most importantly, how to do the perfect smokey-eye with winged eyeliner. If it weren’t for the step-by-step pictures, I probably would have never known what winged eyeliner was in the first place. They put a male model to show the techniques, and at some point it reminded me that Atem probably could do that very well, since he had to apply kohl liner each day to look like the Pharaoh that he was. Oh, and Marik was a pro at this, for sure. 

Killing time, waiting for my phone, I saw the cashier waving at me from afar, pointing to my cell phone. My favourite song was not playing since I put it on silent, but my phone was wildly vibrating. Rushing towards it, I almost tripped. Why was I in a hurry to pick it up so dearly anyway? The number didn’t appear to be Japanese, so I carefully picked up. “Mutou Yuugi speaking, who is this?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowie wowie <3 We're all set for today, cya tomorrow!
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	11. XI: Unexpected Company & Departure

**Unexpected Company**

On his way home, Ryou did not expect to be hit by the gushing rain that suddenly started pouring down from the sky, and the only shelter nearby was the big KC skyscraper. Looking up at the giant building, he remembered Mokuba looking dead exhausted in the morning, and decided to visit him quickly to check if he was alright.

Upon entering the KC building, Ryou was hit by the blast of air conditioning. He shivered as he walked up to the receptionist. 

The receptionist greeted him with a bright and polite smile, not giving away if she had any weird thoughts about a drenched teen standing in front of her. “Good day, sir. Is there any way I can assist you?” 

Ryou hesitated. He could just turn around now and leave this scene. Maybe Mokuba was all right and he just met Jonouchi by accident. No, he had backed down enough in his life because of worries. “Yes.” he said firmly. “I am looking for Mokuba Kaiba. Is he around?”

The receptionist was still smiling, though Ryou could have sworn he saw the corner of her mouth twitch for a second. She typed something on the computer, looked up to Ryou again and shook her head slowly while trying to apologize. “I’m sorry, sir. The CEO is currently in a very important business meeting, and due to an unexpected visit this morning, his schedule has been rearranged. If you’d like, I can give him a message?” 

Still shaking, but this time more because of the social anxiety Ryou felt stirring inside, he searched for an adequate answer. Then he frowned. CEO? Mokuba was the CEO of the company? What about Seto Kaiba? Where the hell did Seto Kaiba go so that he made his brother CEO of a huge company? “I’m sorry, did you just say CEO? But...” 

The receptionist sighed in slight annoyance, her smile seeming faker every second. Now Ryou not only thought he saw her eyebrow twitch in anger, he was sure he did. “I can’t give you more information about that, now, if you would like me to leave Mokuba Kaiba a message...” She must have had it, as the poor young woman didn’t even try to cover her teeth gritting. 

“Ah yes, can you please call him right now and say that Yuugi’s friend Ryou Bakura wants to talk to him.” Ryou’s voice almost shook trying to sound so confident. After years of being mentally abused by a tormented spirit in an ancient artifact, speaking up for himself and expressing himself confidently still was a chore. 

The receptionist flinched visibly at the name Yuugi. Without hesitation, she pressed a button on her headset, mumbling some words that involved Yuugi, Ryou and a visitor and then looked up again, her fake smile all fresh and new. “Please take the elevator to the last floor and wait in the CEO’s office. He will be right with you.”

Ryou’s eyes widened and all he managed to get out was a surprised “Ah”. He turned around and started heading towards the elevator. Behind his back, he heard the receptionist chuckle. Stiff with fear that he was being judged, Ryou rushed to the elevators and pressed the call button. The elevator was already waiting for him and he didn’t even have to select the floor. The doors closed and a rather calming computer voice announced, “Now going to the last floor – CEO’s guest office.”

With every floor he ascended, Ryou felt increasingly uneasy and nervous. He rubbed his hands together several times and picked on wet strands of his hair. As soon as the elevator door opened and he saw Mokuba hunched over on his desk, Ryou rushed towards him, all anxiety forgotten. He even almost tripped when his foot got caught on the edge of a very expensive looking carpet. 

“Mokuba, are you all right?” 

In a panic, Mokuba looked up and tried to wipe away the snot and the tears with his sleeves. Ryou rubbed Mokuba’s shoulders to calm him down. “What happened?” he asked. 

Mokuba took a shuddering breath, hiccupped a couple of times and sniffled up some residue snot in his nose. “I told the receptionist to not let anyone in here for another 15 minutes... What a bitch!” 

“Hey! Language!” Ryou snapped. 

Mokuba started chuckling at Ryou’s impulsive reaction and soon they both were laughing. After calming down, Ryou noticed that Mokuba looked tired, very tired. When Ryou asked where Kaiba went, Mokuba told him all about the dimension cube and about Kaiba travelling to the afterlife. Listening with eager interest, Ryou started becoming less nervous due to being distracted by Mokuba’s story. Mokuba then talked about the meeting with the associates in the US. He described how their stocks went down and how KC may be at risk of losing a lot of money. Since Mokuba was new to the business, he wasn’t very good at countering insults or passive aggressive behaviour. It just wasn’t in his nature. 

Ryou eyed Mokuba up and down while he talked, not trying to be too obvious. He had really matured over the last couple of months ago. His hair was so much flatter, his facial features started resembling the ones of a young man and his body language had gotten more confident. The white suit was maybe a bit awkward, but comparing it to Seto Kaiba’s sense of fashion, it was ridiculously tame. A bit lost in thinking about the past, trying to not let intrusive thoughts about Yami Bakura and the dream of the previous night come in, Ryou shook his head and blinked a couple of times when he heard Mokuba ask if he wanted to grab a coffee together. 

A grin spread across Ryou’s face and he agreed happily, causing Mokuba to quickly call Roland to cancel the appointments for this day completely. He grabbed Ryou by the arm with almost childlike enthusiasm and dragged him over to the elevator. He kept on talking about new gaming concepts and Duel Monster Card AIs the whole way to the mall. The only thing Mokuba Kaiba did not mention was the little problem with the dimension cube energy. He wasn’t sure what he was going to tell Ryou when they entered a nearby coffee shop and his smart-wristband started vibrating and a red alert popped up. 

“NOW ARRIVING AT KC – ELEVATOR FROM SETO SPACE DIMENSION.”

Mokuba stared at Ryou, pale and baffled by the message on his smartwatch.

“We need to go back. Now!”

Ryou nodded, pulled out his phone and started dialling Honda’s number. Whatever was happening, something told him that it was important that Honda would be there.

* * *

**Departure**

When I tried opening my eyes, I felt heavier than I ever thought I could feel. My memory was foggy. Only the grunting of a familiar voice next to me pulled me back to my senses. 

Something felt odd in my chest.

“Pharaoh Atem, please rise.” A spectral voice spoke from nowhere. Prying my eyes open as I fought the heaviness and the fatigue in my bones, I noticed that we were still in my throne room. Everything seemed back to normal. Guards were placed close to the throne. Mana, Mahad, my father, Seth, Isis and all the others stood in the back, eyeing me with worried eyes. With a slight grunt, I pulled myself up, missing a familiar weight on my head. Where was my headpiece? I tried to say something but nothing came out. It was like I had no voice at all. 

“Pharaoh Atem, do you recognize whomst you are speaking to?” An ominous voice asked in my native tongue. I tried to remember the voice. I tried so hard to remember everything. I looked around. Nothing moved, nothing ‘lived’. Not even Kaiba, although I could have sworn I heard him grunting about ten seconds ago. It was like I was stuck in time. 

Something felt odd in my chest. 

And then, seeing Kaiba who looked almost dead next to me, in just a split moment, I suddenly remembered everything. The Duel, Kuriboh finishing off Kaiba’s last life points, my embarrassing speech about coming back to see Yuugi again, Osiris gambling, going feral, and then... the two gods. Yes, the voice. I could remember her. 

“Nut, Goddess of the Skies and Heavens, I dearly apologize for taking time to answer your question.” I tried to kneel but heard a snicker to my left and turned towards the source. Dazzled, I could only stare at the beautiful female figure next to me. I have only seen Nut on carvings, as drawings, and recently, from behind. Seeing the Goddess of the Skies and Heavens standing there, next to me, doing something so human as to snicker at me, was just too much for my brain to process. Her dress was as sheer from the front as it was from the back, all her bodily features were visible. Her legs had the colour of something Yuugi once pointed at when I was looking at the sky. It was at the beach, after Dartz. 

Something felt odd in my chest. 

I saw this structure of stars lining up. He told me that this whole ‘belt’ of stars, surrounded by lighter shades of purple and white smears was called the Milky Way. 

Something felt odd in my chest.

That’s what Nut’s legs looked like. As if they bathed in the Milky Way. Around her hips the colour turned more into a day-sky colour, up until her chest, like someone painted a canvas of the sky with clouds splattered across it. Her long hair flowed ominously at her side, white like snow. Her sheer silvery dress seemed purely to enhance her naturally perfect features. She held something in her hand but I could not figure out what it was. When I heard her chuckle at my stare, I quickly averted my eyes, and her chuckle went into a light laugh, mixed with the distant sound of thunder. 

“Dear Pharaoh, people on every realm adore and desire me sexually, yet you are the first to only stare with genuine interest in my physical form and not with arousal. What is crossing your mind, if I may ask so?” Nut’s vocal melody was light, almost like a feather, but it felt like the voice had the potential to move mountains, heavens and planets. 

Something felt odd in my chest. 

I gazed down at Kaiba, still wondering why I was the only one not frozen in time, but I probably should have stopped asking questions like that a long time ago. 

“If I may speak up and be ever so honest, Goddess Nut of the Heavens and Skies, I have been thinking about the human being that was titled my vessel.” 

“Ahh.” she confirmed. “The young man that goes by the name of Yuugi?” 

Startled, I raised my eyebrows and turned my head to look at her again. “Yes, Yuugi. You...Your legs reminded me of a part of the sky he once showed me.” I hesitantly said, scratching the back of my head.

Oh Ra, I was ashamed to be so brutally honest. This was not how I usually behaved. I also was anything but used to hear myself stutter. I am a Pharaoh. However, amongst gods I was but an ant in the big picture. 

“I will take this as a dear compliment. Now, Pharaoh Atem, I advise you to hear me out.” I straightened my back and folded my hands, only to rub my thumbs together nervously. 

Something felt odd in my chest. 

I nodded, and Nut started explaining. She was looking far off into the distance, as if she was just letting the words flood through her rose-coloured lips. “Osiris has been taken care of. I apologize for any inconvenience. Please do not ask for details. We have been listening to you for a long time, but it never has been in our hands to change your destiny, young Pharaoh. You have proven worthy by enduring pain, by acting royal and respectful over the past months. Geb and I have decided that you will get a second chance to walk in the mortal world. More specifically, the world your Yuugi lives in.” 

Something felt odd in my chest. 

“Be aware though, he is not in good condition, and we fear that you might be too late. We cannot change his destiny. You and your friend will be sent back and time will start moving again.” I smiled, knowing that this, exactly this, is what I wanted deep down. I just wanted to have a chance living like a normal person with Aibou and everyone else around. 

“If you didn’t already notice,” Nut chuckled again, sounding like a child telling a secret, “you already have a beating heart.” 

Something felt odd in my-

So this was it? I had a heartbeat? I tried to say something, but choked on my own spit, absolutely struck by the fact I really had a heartbeat. Nut smiled brightly, but then her smile faded into a more serious expression. “You still have the chance to say no, as there are some conditions that will be applied.”

I wasn’t capable of answering yet, as my heart was suddenly, with a new awareness to it, thundering against my chest trying to find a rhythmic beat to it. I had never felt so alive. Energy travelled through every part of my body, and I wanted to move away from Nut’s presence but also drown in the overwhelming sensation of liveliness. 

“My apologies.” I cleared my throat, and she slowly shook her head understandingly. Nut approached me. I wanted to back away, still shaken by the sensation of being fully alive, but I stood still while Nut came closer to my face, until she could probably feel my breath on her skin. She then took whatever was in her hands and pressed my headpiece onto my forehead. With that, my newly owned heart stopped beating. “Let me explain the consequences.”

She didn’t turn away or take any steps back. Her voice was right in front of my face. “If you agree to go to the mortal realms, your bones will be erased from your grave. There is no chance to have a second lifetime, as even you, the Pharaoh, only had and will have one body. You will age, like any human person does, and your appearance will be the same as here. Your friend will be sent back with you. But... you are not to say goodbye to anyone you know and cherish here. They will know.” 

I gulped. Could I just leave my whole family behind? My servants, Mana, Mahad, even Seth? 

“Will I be able to return once I die?” 

Nut nodded. “Everything will stay the same here.”

With a rumble, leaves began stirring next to Nut. They created some sort of spiralling wind shape and without any further warning, Geb was standing next to Nut. I stared at him, eyes wide open and mouth open, forgetting that I was supposed to resemble a demi-god at least. Geb looked at Nut, nodded, and then turned towards me. Nut was still basically in my face and I tried to not blush at her husband seeing me this close to his wife. Then again, God’s had weird perceptions of relationships. “It’s done. I collected the energy of almost all of the Millennium items.”

Nut suddenly came even closer and pressed a kiss on my cheek. “Decide with your heart, Pharaoh.” she whispered into my ear. With her kiss I felt my heart faintly starting to beat again, if only shortly. Geb raised an eyebrow tauntingly and smiled at Nut. 

I closed my eyes and immediately took off my headpiece, handing it over to Nut. “As much as I love and appreciate everything I have been granted here, I want to live a full life with my own decisions. I am ready. I need to save Yuugi.”

Nut took the headpiece and it vanished into thin air. I gasped at the discomfort in my chest, signalling that my heart had started beating again. 

“Your puzzle stays as well, it is needed as the last piece of power.” 

With that, she reached over my head and slowly took off the puzzle, handing it over to Geb. Nut walked over to Kaiba, bent down, touched him, and he disappeared. Then she came back. With one hand she reached for Geb, who gladly took her hand, and the other hand was placed on my chest. 

“May your dreams come true, Pharaoh.” she whispered, and I felt the whole world starting to spin. I tried to look at my family and my kingdom, but the tears forming in my eyes and the uneasy feeling in my stomach didn’t allow me to. 

If this was what travelling through space was like, it sucked.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are a champ! Another chapter made it all the way into your brain.
> 
> Thanks for reading, you make my day <3.
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	12. XII: Disbelief amongst the Gods & Uncomfortable Acquaintances

**Disbelief amongst the Gods**

“Mutou Yuugi speaking, who is this?” 

“Hey, Yuugi. It’s me, Marik. How has everything been?” Marik heard a loud gasp on the other side of the phone. Out of all the calls, Yuugi probably did not expect to hear Marik at this hour, as it was still rather early in Egypt. 

“M-Marik... Hi!” Yuugi tried to sound enthusiastic, but utterly failed. 

“I’m sorry to call you out of the blue. Are you okay? I have some important news!” 

While Marik was on the phone, Ishizu went down to inspect the door a bit further with Rishid. Due to his light headache, Marik ended up staying in the tent. He heard someone sighing and clearing his throat, as if his friend on the other end of the line was trying to build up the courage to speak up. 

“Yes, I’m quite alright, it’s just that things have been a bit weird in the last couple of hours. What’s up?” Yuugi tried to sound casual, ignoring the urge to cry his eyes out right now on the phone. 

Marik didn’t hesitate to quickly fill Yuugi in on all the details. He talked about the door, about Osiris’ crozier. He did not speak about Atem or Kaiba, since Anzu had contacted Ishizu a couple weeks ago to tell her that Yuugi did not cope with Atem’s departure that well. Yuugi became rather distressed at Marik’s narration. 

“So, Ishizu is down there now, trying to deci-, hold up, she is talking to me right now. Hey Ishizu! Are you?...  _ MA ALLAENA _ ??... … .. No, no I’m sure. Do you need me to come down?... Ah, okay, I will transfer the message.” 

Yuugi was on the other side of the world, staring out of a hospital window. The rain had started to visibly lessen in intensity and the thunderstorms had passed. “Did she have some news?” Yuugi asked, trying to sound natural, but in reality he was having troubles to focus and already felt like he was just a spectator of his own body again.

“Well...” Marik spoke, but sounded a bit hesitant and insecure. He twirled a finger through a strand of his hair, causing some knots in there that he will probably hate to brush out later. He bit his lip, thinking hard about what to say now without just sounding like a total clown. “Ishizu just... Contacted me and said the door disappeared again. You know, the one down where you had the ceremonial duel. I’m not even sure what to say now. I...” 

A bitter laugh escaped Yuugi’s lips. “Are you trying to joke with me?” Even though Yuugi was far from himself, he still felt a tiny spark of hope to see Atem again when Marik mentioned the door. And now, a couple of seconds later into the phone call, the door was gone for good. 

“Look,” Marik tried, “Ishizu is going to come up with Rishid very soon, I will update you as soon as I can! Take care of yourself Yuugi, we’ll keep in touch!” 

“Yes, sure, thank you anyway Marik. Stay safe and tell the others I said hi!” 

Marik made a noise of approval and hung up. He looked around the tent. This call was awkward, he thought to himself. Yuugi seemed like a different person, even though he sounded the same. 

While waiting for Ishizu and Rishid to return, Marik tried to find Nashiema and her husband. They were nowhere to be found and he quickly settled back down in the tent, translating some hieroglyphs into coherent sentences that laid around. Completely lost in a piece about Kul Elna, Marik jumped when Ishizu and Rishid entered the tent. Ishizu carried a camera in her hand, and Rishid still carried his bag. 

“Ah, you made it. I was getting worried!” Marik said in relief, getting up from the dusty floor, collecting scattered images of hieroglyphs. 

Ishizu didn’t say anything, her stern look scaring him. Rishid put his bag on the ground and left the tent, mute. “Marik, please, come look at those pictures.” As Marik fully got up, stretching his legs and making his knees crack, he walked over to his sister. She showed him pictures of the stone-door, fully intact. “I recorded everything and managed to catch how the door vanished.” Ishizu’s words were distant and frail. She seemed almost as if she was in the same state Nashiema was before. 

The video rolled. Marik stared at the door attentively. Suddenly, the door started to dissolve from the top to the bottom, surrounded by something that resembles clouds, leaves, fur, and tiny sparks of lightning. After the door had been fully dissolved and was not much more but a shadow, the shapes of two people became visible. They were almost holographic, as if they were not really there, but they somewhat were. Marik gasped. A woman and a man, hand in hand, with a pile of bandages in front of them. In a split second, they turned around, looking directly at the camera, smiled, and then disappeared into thin air. The rest of the video was Ishizu and Rishid quickly gathering everything and leaving.

“I think I know what… rather who that was.” Marik said. Ishizu’s eyes widened in surprise and she tilted her head slightly, making a part of her hair cover her headpiece. “If the crozier belonged to Osiris, then this might have been Nut and Geb, right? They were, according to Egyptian history, Osiris’ parents?” 

Not sure if he just made a fool of himself, Marik checked his sister's expression. She seemed deeply in thought, looking up and putting pieces in her head together. “That would make sense, but why?” she asked, probably mostly to herself.

Rishid entered the tent again. Ishizu and Marik turned to him. “I think we should personally go to Japan and tell Yuugi about everything we saw. He will not receive it well through the phone.” 

Again, Rishid tended to not ask any questions or order around, he just stated facts. Ishizu cleared her throat, taking a sip of a water bottle that was in Rishid’s bag. “I think that is a fairly good idea. If I make the right calls, you can probably go home, pack a few things and then directly head to the airport. I will stay here, in case anything happens. Are you alright with that, Marik, Rishid?” 

Marik grunted. He didn’t like planes, he preferred going by boat since he was rather afraid of anything higher than ground level, but it was the fastest method of getting to Japan after all. Rishid simply nodded, and Marik gritted his teeth slightly, but nodded as well.

He cleaned up the rest of his translation scribbles and prepared to leave for Japan.

* * *

**Uncomfortable Acquaintances**

When Honda re-entered the hospital, he already forgot where he needed to go to find the ICU. He walked around aimlessly for a good 20 minutes, buying a soda in a gift shop on his quest to find the ICU by himself. Once he finally found it, he went to the nurse’s station and asked for help. “I’m looking for Yuugi Mutou, his grandfather Sugoroku Mutou should be around here somewhere?” 

The nurse, who was very young, looked at Honda and blushed furiously. Then she looked down at the screen, giggling. She typed something, and then said with a flirty undertone “I’m sorry, Mutou-san is in the CT right now, and hi-” 

Someone cleared her throat next to the young nurse and looked at her, fairly judgemental. She flinched in surprise. “We can’t give you more information about anything right now since you are not a direct RELATIVE, isn’t that right?” the older nurse said, glaring at the younger one on the computer. 

“Ah, I totally get it, I’m sorry for the inconvenience.” Honda turned on his heel, blushing slightly by the attempt of the younger nurse flirting with him. 

He proceeded to look for Yuugi. He tried the cafeteria, but couldn’t find him. Then he checked the smoker’s area, maybe he tried to get some ‘air’. He couldn’t find him there either. After another 20 minutes, Honda gave up and decided to just quickly stop by and ask if Yuugi was there right now. 

When he entered the nurse’s station of the ICU, it was empty, except for the younger nurse. She looked up and her eyes beamed at him while she was obviously checking him out. “Ohh, hi.” she said, quietly, a thick smoothness surrounding her voice. 

“Eh, hi.” Honda was uncomfortable with all the attention, since the young nurse looked like she was barely at the age of consent. “I don’t want any more information, I just want to know if Mutou Yuugi is here right now? If not, I will not bother you anymore.” He chuckled, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, pulling up his shirt a bit with that action (totally by accident, of course). 

The young nurse’s eyes were glued to his belly button and he could have sworn if he didn’t pull his shirt down she would have drooled on the keyboard. She signalled him to come closer, and with a bit of hesitation, Honda did so. For the sake of Yuugi, he thought to himself. 

She grabbed his head by the side and whispered in his ear seductively “I’m not supposed to tell you, but he was here around 10 minutes ago. He said he had to take care of something important at home and left. I’m not allowed to tell that to anyone, he insisted. But since you’re so hot...” With that she started nibbling on Honda’s earlobe, lightly moaning into his ear. 

Honda coughed, loud and strong, and the young nurse flinched back. “Thank you for the information, have a nice day.” The stiffness in Honda’s voice was remarkable, and the young nurse started pouting after her failed attempt at seducing the brown haired man. 

For Yuugi’s sake, he told himself again.

At least finding the exit always kind of worked in a hospital, who knows why. Stepping out of the building, Honda’s phone rang.

**  
**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading <3\. I very much appreciate it, at all times.
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	13. XIII: Catharsis & No Time to Rest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo check out [originfire’s art](https://gx5ds.tumblr.com/post/628076564104527872/my-work-for-the-ygobigbang-inspired-by) that is dropping with today’s chapter, it SLAYS!  
> 
> 
> Careful: From now on, the chapters will for a while progressively revolve around suicide.
> 
> Trigger warning:  
> Suicide attempt

**Catharsis**

I really hope that young nurse kept her mouth shut and tells no one that I am going home. I have made my final decision. I decided to walk all the way home, and on the way, I stopped at a convenience store that carried great food. Upon entering, I smiled at the cashier, and bought some lunch and my favourite childhood soda. Shortly after, I thought it would be a great idea to walk across the park, even though everything was still wet after the rain. I wished to enjoy a last glance at the flower arrangements. After that, I probably should head to the docks, look at the sea once more and breathe in the air. Feel alive. Maybe I should also visit the school again. Sitting on a bench that was not wet due to a very large tree beside it, I ate some delicious and warm Katsudon. It tasted better than anything I had ever eaten and I smiled, enjoying every last bite of it. The soda, a watermelon flavoured Ramune, was usually meant for children. I didn’t care, I just really wanted to pop the glass bead into the drink and hear it fizzle. Upon doing so, I almost giggled like I was a child again. 

Everything felt calm, I felt collected and clear in my head for the first time in a long while. I was free, careless - for the first time in months. 

After finishing my lunch I went inside the grocery store again and bought a big slice of strawberry cake, leaving all the rest of my money as a tip for the person working there. He smiled at me thankfully, probably thinking I was like some Kaiba-boy. Outside again, I opened the strawberry cake and inhaled the scent. It smelled wonderful. Slowly, I started to eat each layer by itself, tasting and savouring the flavours like it was gourmet. This was how life probably was supposed to be. The sun started breaking through the clouds and I stopped, letting it warm my cheeks. It wouldn’t matter if my pale skin got sunburn, it really wouldn’t. 

Almost having finished the cake, I let a bee land on the last piece of it and left that piece there, throwing away the package. Heading to the park, I almost felt like skipping down the chiselled path to the flower arrangements. I did have some duels there in my free time earlier. Pushing that thought aside, I didn’t skip the path down because knowing myself, I would probably trip. I sauntered along the way to the park, nodding at people passing me, smiling at children that stared at my hair. My hair looked so similar to… 

I entered the park and saw that a lot of flowers were in full bloom, and the scent of all the roses and other flowers mixed was sensational. Thanks to the long route I chose around the park, I got to pet two dogs on the way. I checked my phone to see that my mum had called five times, but I did not care about that right now. This was Yuugi time. This was ME time. The docks usually were connected to bad memories, so I decided that I would rather not go there and decided to stroll by the arcade, just to take a glance inside, as it was closed for maintenance. Still, carefully looking at all the claw machines inside - where you could win toys and Duel Monster Card Boosters was satisfying.

Slowly making my way home, I saw the KC building in the distance and thanked Kaiba secretly for always pushing me to my limits. Standing in front of the Game Shop, I looked at it very clearly, taking a good mental image. Even after unlocking the door and looking around, everything still felt calm. No hallucinations. Nothing. 

_I didn’t lock the door._

I went to every shelf, every game, and just inhaled the scent of cardboard games, fresh duel monster cards and cleaning liquid. Smiling, memorizing all the good times I had here, I decided that it was time to go upstairs.

_I didn’t lock the door._

Everything looked tidy, the apartment looked warm, as if no one ever had any problems in here. I sighed, not letting the building sadness and doubts change my mind. I once saw a show on TV where a teen held his girlfriend in his arms, shower running, while she... But that was not how it was going to be for me. I was alone, and maybe it was better that way. I went to my room. I made my bed, I put everything where it belonged. I looked at the little golden box that held my deck, my dearest cards, that connected me with... But that didn’t matter. I sat on my bed... I turned on my favourite song and decided to sing along. I used to show _him_ my favourite songs, but I’m not sure if he even liked them.

**_It is time now._ **

I slowly walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

_I didn’t lock the door._

Successfully pushing away everything that could stop me, including the images of last night and the good memories from the last years, I carefully opened the cabinet and took out a little box that said ‘soap’. There was no soap in there. There never was. I opened it and both used and fresh razor blades were dimly reflecting my face. My face seemed distorted, and it seemed wet, but I couldn’t tell why, because I was happy. 

_Right?_

I got up again. I forgot something. Walking back to my room, I grabbed a pen and a paper out of my dark magician notebook. Anzu got that one for me a long time ago. 

Back in the bathroom, I closed the door again.

_I didn’t lock the door. Did I lock the apartment door?_

My hands were shaking like crazy, and I just narrowed it down to excitement. My writing was squiggler than I was used to, and I managed to write only a few words.

_I am sorry for not being strong enough._

That was all I wrote down. I put the piece of paper as well as the pen carefully next to the bathtub. Typing a message to Jou via phone, it only said “Thank you for everything.” 

_Probably shouldn’t have done that._

Grabbing some real soap, I made the impulse decision to take a nice and hot bubble bath. Life was good today, and I wanted to savour every bit of it that I had left. So I started undressing, putting clothes neatly folded next to me, while the bathtub slowly filled, steaming with hot water and a massive amount of bubbles. Getting in, I flinched at the heat, but quickly adjusted to it. My muscles started relaxing and a very heavy feeling slowly kicked in. I had to hurry.

_What was that heaviness?_

I put the little box that said soap on the edge of the bathroom. My hand automatically grabbed one of the clean razor blades. To savour pain, I started making one small cut on my left wrists and sighed, relieved. I could still feel pain for now, and it made me feel alive. 

_What was that heaviness?_

Deciding that I would start with the right arm, if I was ready, I put the razor blade in the left hand and let it hang over the bathtub. Very small droplets of blood ran down and dropped to the floor, onto the letter. I didn’t care. I looked to the razor blade, satisfied with everything I had ever achieved. 

_…And the fresh razor blade dimly reflected my face. My face seemed distorted, it seemed wet, but I couldn’t tell why, because I was happy. Right?_

I blinked.

_What was that heaviness?_

* * *

**No Time to Rest**

Someone was rather aggressively shaking me until I jerked up and blinked the sleepiness out of my eyes. “For Ra’s sake, can you maybe not do that so rough?!” I almost yelled, receiving a satisfied snarl as an answer. I looked around, not recognizing anything. But I did recognize who shook my soul almost out of my own body. It was Kaiba. 

“Oh, how did the dear princess rest?” Kaiba taunted, and I just huffed to signal that I was done with it. 

I again let my eyes scan my surroundings and saw that we were in some sort of high-tech room next to a machine that almost looked like a massive elevator. “Where are we?” I asked, trying to not sound too amazed and surprised by all the lights and the things blinking around us. 

“Welcome to my world I guess. we’re on the secret top floor of the KC building.” 

I gasped. What? It was already done? 

“Can you explain to me how the hell we ended up here? All my gear is inactive and broken, the cube is missing, and you even have vitals.” 

Did Kaiba check my vitals? That would be odd, imagining Kaiba touching my wrist gently to check if I had a pulse. I chuckled at that thought. 

“What is there to laugh about?” he growled.

“Ah, I apologize.” putting my hands up in defence. I also decided that it was maybe a good idea to get up and see if I could even hold myself up. “You see... Geb and Nut sent us here. Osiris has been dealt with. I don’t know much more than that.” My voice sounded rather monotone and flat, and I think Kaiba did not believe one bit of it. 

“Oh sure, so it’s the work of some godly superpower again and here you are with a fully intact body. I swear I will create a device to hunt this pathetic excuse of Osiris down and tear him to shreds for making me gamble for lives again!” 

As I rose to stand, I noticed that my bones felt heavier, but except for that and the weird sensations of a constant heartbeat, everything felt rather normal.

“Seto?” someone yelled, almost breaking the metal door. Kaiba flinched and I literally jumped. Mokuba (was that Mokuba?!) ran across the room towards his brother. Eventually he stopped in front of us. I felt his eyes on me. And I felt more eyes on me. Behind him, I saw Honda and Ryou, both speechless, eyes and mouth wide open in disbelief. I stared right back, not knowing what to say. 

“Is that a new AI? Man it looks so GOOD? How did you? And how is it standing and moving without any of the requirements?” Mokuba exclaimed and touched my belly, very much likely expecting his touch to go right through it. When it did not, he yelled and jumped back. “Seto, what is this?” 

Kaiba tried to not grin, but his eyes gave it away. It was a proud grin, like he won a fight or something. Which he didn’t. But I couldn’t run away from any rematches anymore now, could I? I sighed.

“Mokuba, I assume? Hello. I know this sounds weird but... I am real. No technology and holograms involved. Just my humble self.” 

Mokuba took another step back, insecure. “No, this can’t be? How?”

Kaiba wanted to say something, but Honda’s shout almost shook the whole room.

“Dude, ARE YOU FOR REAL?” 

He jogged in ease across the room to reach us, dragging Ryou along, who had a harder time keeping the speed up. Honda grabbed me by the shoulder and looked at me, I looked back. 

“Man” he said, teary-eyed. “if you are really for real man, this is...” Honda, started crying in front of me. I was baffled and insecure how to react. Suddenly, Honda pulled me into a friendly hug, and mercifully left the whole slapping on the back enthusiastically out. It wasn’t awkwardly long and he already let go when Kaiba still gave away a noise of disgust, not noticing that Mokuba eyed him in a strange manner. Ryou, standing behind the scene, still catching his breath a bit, only waved at me shyly.

“Hello Atem, long time no see!” he smiled at me and I nodded at him, mirroring his smile. Kaiba broke the silence that started dragging. “Where did you dorks leave Yuugi?”

Ryou, Honda and Mokuba all looked down rather sadly, and I remembered what Nut told me. “We have to go find Yuugi, right now, he might be in danger.” Everyone stared at me. Kaiba raised an eyebrow, rolling his eyes. “What is with you and danger?” 

Honda’s phone rang. He picked up and turned away from the group. Mumbling something, he nodded viciously, quickly hung up, while we stood here in awkward silence. “I don’t want to scare you...” Honda started, and something already made all of my alarm bells go into overdrive “But Jonouchi just received a strange message from Yuugi, it only said something like ‘Thank you for everything’. And I know he left the hospital a good while ago. We should probably check up on him.” 

“We will be coming with you.” Mokuba stated, rather flat and definite. Kaiba hesitated, clearly wanting to interfere but Mokuba gave him a stern look and Kaiba, for once, shut up. Weird of him to just give in like that. Maybe the whole dimension travelling turned his brain into mush. I felt a sting in my chest and a weird sensation tingling down my fingers. Something was not right with Aibou. My excitement about being here and being able to slowly adapt was already wiped away. Yuugi was in danger, and there was no time to waste. Honda called Jonouchi back, telling him that we should meet in front of Yuugi’s house and that everyone should try reaching out for him. While entering the limo, Kaiba was the first to finally speak it out loud. 

“Do you guys think Yuugi is trying to do something stupid to himself?” No one dared to answer, and I froze immediately. Why would Yuugi try to do such a thing, if that was true? Did an evil spirit possess him? Driving in silence, everyone in their own thoughts, it didn’t take long to get to the Game Shop, and I saw Jonouchi outside, eagerly waiting, eyes searching for someone. 

We all got out of the car. Jonouchi’s eyes were already fixated on me and he sprinted towards me, pulling me into a brotherly hug, with the over enthusiastic back pat, then proceeded to squeeze my shoulders and nod. I nodded back, understanding this was not the time for an emotional reunion. Ryou, Kaiba, Jonouchi and I decided to try to enter the Game Shop. Mokuba and Honda stayed outside and tried to contact Otogi and Anzu, probably about my return.

Kaiba just casually pushed the door open and it took him by surprise to find it unlocked.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I especially loved writing the catharsis part. In psychology it is said that once a person comes to terms with them wanting to commit suicide, they suddenly feel happy, calm, and at rest. This was my approach <3.
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	14. XIV: Past unresolved & Home alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! 
> 
> Friendly reminder that the subjects here still are very heavy! Please be aware while reading. 
> 
> Enjoy the ride.

**Past unresolved**

Marik always hated planes. He hated being in the air, not in control of the situation. It made his head hurt, but this time, the headache did not care to show up. 

Rishid stretched and Marik raised his eyebrows shortly in surprise. Dare he say that he wasn’t used to seeing his brother behaving so normally? 

Marik asked himself if they had ever talked about what happened when he basically made him his slave. Was Rishid still mad at him for everything? He seemed even colder and more distant than before. Marik looked out of the window, quickly averting his brother’s eyes. Not his best move. This plane was way too high, he thought to himself. “What bothers you, brother?” Rishid asked, quiet and monotone. 

Marik frowned slightly looking at the half eaten plate of plane food in front of him (it wasn’t bad, just… planes). Rishid left his food untouched. Without a doubt, Marik felt his brother’s eyes lingering on him. “Rishid, have we ever really talked about what I did to you and Ishizu, but mostly you, when Yami Marik, jealousy and envy were my only companions?” 

The only answer Marik got was a rather cryptic hum. Marik wrote the conversation off as dismissed and went to put on his headphones. Before he could, Rishid turned to him again.

“I don’t think there is any need to talk about it. You apologized. This was not who you were and I remain loyal to you. It doesn’t matter.”

This was it. Marik felt genuine frustration and some sort of anger flare up. Not the hatred or anger that he was used to, more of an annoyed anger, because what Rishid said was not true. Yes, he apologized, but Rishid never had to be or remain loyal; their father was somewhere boiling in the shadow realms for good. 

“You now that’s not true, Rishid. You have grown distant and cold. I will never ask you to remain loyal, you are free, and just because you are my brother doesn’t mean that you have to forgive everything that I do! I don’t even forgive myself. I’m not our dad, nor are you!” Marik’s voice rose and he felt people turning around to see if everything was alright. 

Rishid’s eyes opened up a bit more, and he looked down. “This is the only way of living that I know of and it shall be sufficient.” 

Marik rubbed his eyes in annoyance with his right hand while his left one tapped nervously on his leg. Sheer annoyance. He sighed, dropping the subject for now. “We are not done yet, Rishid. We need to talk this through. In no world is this ‘sufficient’. You deserve so much more, especially being the caring and protective person that you are.” 

Marik didn’t speak more and let Rishid just process the conversation.

_Hello, this is Alex, coming from the cockpit. Fortunately, the storm did pass and we are able to land in Tokyo in only a few hours. In case of any changes, we will inform you with further details. Please enjoy your flight. If you have any questions or requests, don’t hesitate to press the button above you. - thank you for flying with EmpressAir._

Something in Rishid’s eyes changed, and Rishid noticed that Marik noticed. Avoiding eye contact at any cost, Marik finally put his headset on and started to watch a movie. 

Rishid’s thoughts raced. His brother was right. He never let emotions get to him, but if he really admitted it, he used to hate Marik even while he remained loyal. Although for the past couple of months, Marik was different. He was more cheerful, tried to communicate more, and he always tried to consider what his family would want. Ishizu also tried to talk some sense into her brothers so they might get along. Maybe that wasn’t so hard to achieve after all, Rishid thought to himself. Maybe he should start by forgiving himself, and then forgiving Marik.

Unwrapping the fork and knife (he couldn’t use chopsticks that well), Rishid began eating, an ever so slight smile on his face. Little did he know that his smile caught Marik’s attention and made his brother cheer for victory inside.

Meanwhile, Ishizu was nearly buried in books, articles and pictures of research sites that were about Nut, Geb, Osiris or a different door to the afterlife. After dropping her brothers off at the airport, she immediately started researching. She read everything about Nut, about how she was portrayed, but no image or perception of the Goddess Nut was in sync with what they saw down there. Geb also was shown to look different, and she couldn’t make out the pile of bandages. Osiris was mummified in history, but in rotten bandages, as he was told to be human once. 

Giving up on the research for now as it would lead to nothing, Ishizu decided to watch the video once more and flipped out the screen of her camera. She blinked at the black screen. There was no more video, and no more pictures. Without a doubt, empty. Ishizu panicked. She checked the SD card on a laptop and put it back in the camera. Everything was gone. She sighed, sitting down, taking a sip of her favourite brand of bottled mint tea. Cold mint tea with a couple of drops of honey, lemon and ginger. It was a blessing. Defeated, she turned the camera off and started sorting her research. Maybe the gods didn’t want to expose their secrets. Maybe they were not so inhuman after all. With a chuckle, Ishizu continued cleaning up and thought of planning the next steps of the excavation.

* * *

**Home alone**

Jonouchi, followed by Ryou and Kaiba, rushed into the Game Shop. I got in last, staring at it blankly as memories rushed through me. All the things we shared here... the music we listened to, games we played together. It hurt me to my core that Nut told me I might be too late (for whatever reason?) and that Jou and the others were suddenly so worried and in a rush to find Yuugi. It made me question all efforts it took to come here. Then again, I did not do much besides pray for the Gods. Kaiba was the only reason I was able to come back here. Maybe I should let him win in a duel at some point… maybe. 

Kaiba aimlessly walked around in the store, not really that interested in looking for Yuugi, since he was basically dragged and sent in here by Mokuba. I could understand that. He just spent a rather long time in another dimension, saw and fought Gods, yet he still was not allowed to just rest and relax. Ryou and Jonouchi looked around in the back, while I finally entered the store. I hoped to see you there, casually sitting and making a fool of us. Wishful thinking. Kaiba pretended to look around still, more interested in the actual stuff in the store than in looking for my Aibou. Ryou came out from the back, Jonouchi behind him, covered in dust.

“Maybe we should check the basement and upstairs?” Ryou asked, not quite sure if he was even being heard. 

Honda and Mokuba joined after waiting a couple of minutes outside, they didn’t want to be left out, so Jou suggested that they go check the basement. Before they headed down, I saw Kaiba rolling his eyes and huffing “I’m done with this. Mokuba, we’re leaving!” 

“But Seto!” 

“NO.” Kaiba yelled at his little brother, causing the whole group to flinch. He sure must have been mad after everything that had happened, and after all, I still beat him in a duel. He dragged Mokuba outside and we heard the car start. 

“That was rough, man. I totally get Mokuba now.” Jonouchi mumbled, earning questioning stares from all of us. So, with the Kaiba brothers gone, Ryou and Honda decided to check the basement, while Jonouchi and I scanned upstairs. Jonouchi said I should check the rooms in the front. Meanwhile he wanted to check the kitchen and the living room, as well as the other sleeping rooms. I entered Yuugi’s room and was taken aback by the eeriness yet peaceful mood. Everything was neatly cleaned, except for a notebook lying on his desk. A dark magician one. I remember Anzu giving him this. I looked at where the Puzzle used to hang and saw that everything looked the same, as if it a single day had not passed, except... I couldn’t remember if there always had been scratches where the Puzzle used to dangle, but I just wrote it off as a bad memory. I used to look after Yuugi when he was sleeping, not after how my Puzzle was hanging. 

To be completely sure, I checked Yuugi’s bed thoroughly, too thoroughly, looked under the bed, and even opened the wardrobe, overwhelmed by his scent. I never knew Yuugi had such a distinctive scent. Deciding that Yuugi very clearly wasn’t here, I left the room, only to find Jonouchi standing right in front of the door. 

“Did you find him?” he asked, clearly concerned, signalling me that he, in fact, did not find him. I shook my head apologetically. Jonouchi frowned, and we both headed downstairs. Honda and Ryou didn’t have more luck in the basement.

“Guys.” Honda started “What if he went back to the hospital again? Maybe they got news about his grandfather?” Ryou nodded, and Jou still was frowning. I covered my mouth to cover a yawn that suddenly escaped my body and tried to turn away. 

Ryou looked at me, probably noticing that actually being alive had taken his toll on me. I slept in the afterlife, but it was more like just turning lights on and off, I never was very tired or felt so exhausted that I needed to sleep. Did Honda just say something about a hospital? Ryou then cleared his throat and spoke up, his voice slightly hesitant, but also determined 

“What if we go to the hospital and Atem stays here? Maybe Yuugi just went for a walk?” Ryou knew he was making that up. “I don’t think it’s the best setting if they meet in a hospital. People will maybe be questioning their similar hairstyles, and also, Atem seems worn out. He should rest.” Ryou turned towards me.

I tried to disagree and wanted to speak up when I felt Jou’s hands on my shoulders, squeezing them lightly “Yeah dude, as much as we like you here, and we will absolutely throw a huge welcome party, you should rest for a while. I’m not going to say you look awful, but ya know?” 

There was no reasoning with Jou, Honda and Ryou, and even if everything in me wanted to quickly find Aibou, somehow I felt that I had to stay at home. “Okay, I agree. How do we stay in contact?” I asked, voice flat and expressionless. Honda handed me a cell phone. It was an old flip phone, I had seen people use that before, I think. 

“Just flip it open and press the green button, then put it on your ear as soon as you hear it dialing.” 

I knew how phones worked still, but I nodded nevertheless. No need to argue or prove my point now, I felt exhaustion in every corner of my body and mind. The three of them left. Ryou had to almost jog to be able to gain the same walking speed. I smiled, happy that I was allowed to see my friends alive and breathing after such a long time. 

I entered the store again and looked around. After a moment, I decided I would go upstairs and wait in the living room. I wished I had clean clothing. There were still some very light blood stains on my tunic and my arm, where Osiris’ scratched me, felt dirty, even though it looked rather well already. Then it struck me. Jonouchi said he was going to cover the living room, kitchen as well as the other sleeping rooms. He didn’t say he would check the bathroom, and I did not check the bathroom. My heart started beating really fast and I felt an uncomfortable tingling in my fingertips. I carefully made my way upstairs to the only door unchecked. Upon entering it, I felt my heart stop.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading <3.
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.
> 
> You are all amazing people ^-^


	15. XV: Breaking the Boundaries & Too late

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Careful while reading :) We're not done with the pain EHEHE.

**Breaking the Boundaries**

“Could you tell me what that was for? Yuugi needs our help and you just drag us out of there?” Mokuba hissed, his voice agitated and sharp. 

“Yuugi is none of our concern, Mokuba. And I assume there is a lot of work to do. There is still one god I have to take down for being a rude shithead.” Kaiba’s voice was cold and flat. 

For the past several days, or maybe even months, Mokuba’s anger had brewed itself into a storm. Sure, his brother didn’t have to babysit him anymore at all times. Mokuba was now old enough to take care of himself. Also, he was seemingly mature enough to run a company in Seto’s absence. However, the way Seto kept treating Yuugi and his friends, his employees, and even Mokuba himself, should not be excused anymore. His obsession with work, his previous obsession with Atem and his behaviour just now pushed Mokuba onto the verge of exploding. 

“Roland, stop the car right now!” Mokuba shouted. 

The command was sudden and impulsive, making Kaiba freeze in place for a second. “I don’t know what you’re on about, Mokuba, but we’re not going to stop here.” 

The car came to a slow halt on the side. Mokuba grabbed his cell phone he put next to himself and yanked the door open. 

“Mokuba, what do you think you’re-? Roland, are you really THAT eager to lose your job on the spot!?” Kaiba switched glaring daggers from Mokuba to Roland, but none of them reacted accordingly. 

“I am only doing what I’m being told, Sir Kaiba.” Roland said, monotone and professional. Mokuba jumped outside the car, ready to leave the scene. 

“Come back, Mokuba!” Kaiba now yelled, visibly annoyed.

“No, Seto, I’m NOT going to let you get away with this. Listen to ME, your ONLY younger brother, for ONCE! You treat Yuugi and his friends like shit, while they were the only ones that always stood by your side, Yuugi even tried to befriend you. You treat your employees like they are the worst human beings on the planet and also you have been so obsessed with getting to Atem for the last couple of months that you forgot I was even alive. I’m DONE with you ruining my life!” With that, Mokuba slammed the door closed, walked along the side of the car to nod at Roland and then just walked away. 

Kaiba gritted his teeth, angrily. “Let’s go, Roland.” he growled. 

Roland started the car and kept on driving to the KC building. Seto Kaiba decided that this argument was not yet over, but for a split second he even invited the thought of Mokuba maybe being right.

In the meantime, Mokuba tried to call Jonouchi. “Yo, kiddo, whatsup? You made quite an exit there at the Game Shop.” he answered, almost with a slight tease. 

“Cut it. I left Seto to drive home alone, where are you guys right now?” Mokuba huffed, his voice cracking as he felt anger slowly escaping his trembling body. 

“We’re on the way to the hospital now, you know, maybe Yuug’ headed there? Are you coming?” 

Mokuba made a confirming noise, and decided to first get some iced coffee from a nearby convenience store. “I’ll be there in a bit. Let me know if you find out anything new.” Mokuba’s voice recovered his posture and his voice was back to normal. 

“Will do, kiddo!” 

With that, Jonouchi hung up and Mokuba was left alone with his thoughts. Was he being too honest and too harsh on Seto? He scoffed. Seto probably wouldn’t even admit to even one of the things he was accused of. Mokuba chuckled and made his way to the convenience store, seeing the clerk filling a shelf with Katsudon. Grabbing an iced coffee, again, he went to the cashier, paid for it and tried to think of the shortest way to the hospital. Probably a cab, he thought to himself, but that would appear snobbier than he wanted to admit. Mokuba checked the closest public transport and then decided that he was going to just walk the way.

As Kaiba sat in his office, he was determined to only quickly check his emails, get an update from all the departments and then head home. As much as the coffee he was currently drinking was saving his life, fatigue from everything that happened was gnawing at his sanity. Kaiba thought of his voyage to the afterlife, the duel he lost, and he stuttered at his own thoughts. He lost. Against the Pharaoh. He developed a machine to travel to the afterlife for months, and only through the dimension cube he managed to travel through dimensions. Nothing was going as planned. His gear was almost too weak to withstand the changes. Although his duel disk prototypes worked just fine, he still lost. He slammed his hand on the table and gritted his teeth. It wasn’t possible that he lost against the Pharaoh. All the testing against all the possible turns he could use was for nothing. It was going to have an aftermath, Kaiba told himself. He would be the one obliterating the Pharaoh. After Osiris.

Impatiently tapping with his foot, he checked all the emails and called the leading managers of several departments. He also checked the stocks and saw that they slightly went down. The associates overseas probably were freaking out, and Kaiba would have loved to have a meeting with them to make them regret every very insult they tried to throw at him. Considering his work done, the official CEO of the Kaiba Corporation left his office, ignored the receptionist as he left, letting Roland drive him home. He didn’t speak any word to Roland except for ‘drive me home’ and Roland surely would get his punishment. 

But for now, Kaiba was allowed to rest, if only for a bit.

* * *

  
  
**Too late**

When Atem entered the bathroom, his heart stopped. Steam was hanging in the air and breathing proved to be quite difficult. He stepped inside, nervous, dreading, not sure if what he saw could be real. There was Yuugi… in the bathtub. Atem gasped and held his breath. He tried to call out for Yuugi, but there was no sound crossing his lips. He hesitated to get closer to his Aibou, noticing a letter on the ground, and he only quickly glanced over it, most of his focus on the person in front of him.

_ I am sorry for not being strong enough. _

Tears slowly made their way down Atem’s cheeks, much to his disbelief. He wanted to look away, and also not. The dried droplets of blood and the wet razor blade were everything Atem needed to have his world crash down on him. 

_ Yuugi, his partner, Aibou, dead. _

A heart-wrenching sob made its way past Atem’s lips. He collapsed onto his knees in front of the bathtub, reaching out for Yuugi’s hand, sobbing uncontrollably.

“No, Aibou, 

Please..

Please..

PLEASE.. 

Don’t..

I can’t lose you again”

This was it. Atem was too late. 

There was no demon or spirit possessing his Aibou, no monsters, no extra-dimensional force being a threat. Atem solely was too late because Yuugi decided to take his life. Never ever did he think that something like that could happen. Yuugi was so strong besides him, with him, even without him. 

Atem thought about the last time they saw each other. Yuugi smiled back then. And then he remembered hesitating, because he thought something didn’t quite seem right. He ought to have known that his partner was not alright. Guilt crept up his spine and spread all across his back like a deadweight. 

Spiralling down in his thoughts, mind numbed yet covered in guilt, shame and some unspoken anger, Atem subconsciously rubbed Yuugi’s hand in circles. Despite trying to comfort himself that maybe this was all just an illusion, dearly holding onto that hope, Yuugi’s body remained limp.

In an unstoppable flood, memories clashed into Atem’s head. The duel against Kaiba in Duellist Kingdom, where he,  _ a nameless spirit _ , casually possessing a young boy’s body, almost killed their ‘rival’. Only through Yuugi’s determination and strength was he able to stop. They then started cooperating. The dreadful duel against Yami Marik also put Yuugi at a sudden risk. Atem asked himself if he ever did  _ not _ put Yuugi’s life at stake. Painful memories about the Seal of Orichalcos dug their way up. When Yuugi sacrificed his soul, Atem almost surrendered to the darkness within him. The feeling of being disconnected to the person one cherishes the most was unbearable. His heart felt like it was being shattered into a million pieces, and every single piece got consumed by darkness. The ceremonial duel, where he lost, and finally was able to rest in the afterlife. 

_ Breaking a promise, breaking two hearts. Shattering one whole soul.  _

Not a single day after had been the same to Atem. He tried settling down in the afterlife, but his soul didn’t feel at ease. Ever. Not until he saw Yuugi again. He felt whole again, saving Aibou, seeing him again. So little time passed, yet it felt eternal, and Yuugi had grown so much.

The tears stopped somewhere. Atem was deeply lost in his mourning thoughts, not paying enough attention to his surroundings.

After what felt like hours, but it must only have been a couple of minutes, Atem tried to take a deep breath, lifted his head. He flinched. Yuugi’s chest moved. Steadily, up and down. Atem panicked. His thoughts connected, but not fast enough. He just sat there blankly, looking at Yuugi, breathing. And then it clicked. The wrist was only bleeding lightly. The bath water wasn’t deeply red. For a split second, Atem felt ashamed for letting himself be fooled.

_ Aibou was alive! _

Losing all control and reasonable ability to think, Atem jumped in the tub in his full attire. He almost slipped and tried to balance himself by holding on to the edge of the tub. In Atem’s head, a nasty curse in his native tongue formed, but then he noticed Yuugi’s body slowly sinking into the water. In sheer terror, Atem knelt over Yuugi and grabbed him roughly by the shoulders to slide him up again. He earned a light grunt in response. Crying anew, Atem leaned forward, halfway above Yuugi, and pressed his Aibou’s head against his chest. He wanted to tell him how happy he was, he wanted to say so many things, but he couldn’t say anything. His voice ceased to function, the voice of a Pharaoh was no more. 

Atem noticed a louder grunt this time against his chest and pulled away, still holding Yuugi by his shoulders. He felt the warm water soak into the fabric of his tunic. Yuugi stirred, slowly opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times. Immensely overwhelmed, Atem could only stare at Yuugi, mouth slightly ajar. 

“I...Is this heaven?” Yuugi asked, his voice still sleepy and faint. Rubbing his eyes a couple of times, brushing against Atem’s arm upon doing so, Yuugi now fully opened his eyes.“A...M...Mou hitori no boku? Is that you?” he then chuckled with a sleepy scratch to his voice. “So I did die already?” 

Atem squinted his eyes and looked at Yuugi, trying to push away the painful image he had to observe not long ago. Atem slowly shook his head. Yuugi’s eyes widened, and then he looked down, in shame. 

“So I didn’t manage to do it and now I have the most vivid hallucination in the bathtub to torment me... great.” He sighed, his voice shivering with frustration.

What Yuugi did not expect though, was the burning sensation he was about to feel in his left cheek. Atem did not think, it just happened. He slapped Yuugi across the face, with enough force to make Yuugi’s head turn right. Yuugi held his cheek, not only because of the pain, but because his hallucination just slapped him.

Atem gasped. He did not mean to do that. Not any of it. His emotions just boiled over. Disappointment that Yuugi would do something like that. Frustration, because he felt like it was his fault. Pain, because he thought he was too late. But the anger, the sudden anger he barely could hide was the worst of all. He gritted his teeth, shivering. Tears started rolling down his cheeks, this time they were the furious kind. The one where anger gets control over you. He looked down to Yuugi, who now turned his face towards him again. 

“Does that answer your question, AIBOU?” he yelled, his voice finding a strange strength again. He slammed his left hand as a fist onto the wall next to them. Yuugi flinched and tried to scurry away, but he couldn’t. He was, after all, awkwardly lying in a bathtub. Although Atem let go of him, there was nowhere he could escape to. He looked down, barely any bubbles left in the bathwater, and noticed that Atem was basically sitting on top of him. And he was naked. If this was heaven, the welcome was not really nice, but he blushed nevertheless.

“So you’re telling me you’re real? How...?” Yuugi murmured in disbelief. Atem couldn’t be real, he was in the afterlife. The Puzzle had disappeared again. Before he got an answer, ‘Atem’ started getting out of the tub. His tunic was drenched and dripping. Yuugi sat up straight after Atem got out. The words on the letter next to them started washing out, and the blood dissolved into a bright red mixture with water and soap. 

Atem turned away, rubbing his eyes. “Why did you... do this? How could you EVER think this was okay? How could you do this...” he said, daggers accompanying the sharp undertone in his voice. 

He almost sounded like Kaiba for a second. Without expecting an answer, Yuugi heard how Atem hiccupped as he repressed a sob, and watched him start to walk away. Instinctively, Yuugi reached out for Atem, some water sloshing out of the tub, and grabbed his skirt. In a swift motion, Atem slapped Yuugi’s hand away and glared at him, more pain than anger in his eyes. Yuugi frowned, his guilt building. Even if Atem was a hallucination, he felt bad either way. After that, Atem crouched down, his soaked tunic grazing the floor, and picked up the razor blade. He grabbed the box that said soap, got up again and left without a word, slamming the bathroom door behind him.

Yuugi was now sitting in the bathtub, alone again. His guilt flared. He never meant to leave everyone behind. He never meant to hurt anyone, but he was physically and mentally not capable of caring about anyone or anything due to his state. Yuugi pulled his legs close to his chest and buried his head between his arms. This was worse than trying to commit suicide. This was way worse. He hated everything about this. If this was really Atem, Yuugi didn’t want to know what it must have been like for him. He started crying, at first silently, but the desperation and the sadness wanted out. His sobs turned loud and painful, hiccups begging for more air. 

On the other side of the door, Atem sat with his back to it, crying silently. He checked the box, found dirty razor blades. It hurt. Why would his Aibou do something like that? If anyone deserved living, it was his bright soul. What happened to Yuugi being his light? Being a light to everyone? Was this all a lie?

Hearing Yuugi’s sobs and desperate gasps for air made his heart ache. He reached out for the cell phone that he dropped before when he opened the bathroom door to find Yuugi there, and with shaking hands he looked for Ryou in the contacts, trying to calm down his own tears before dialling Ryou’s number.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, we made it just about past half of the fic! 
> 
> I hope you are enjoying it, despite all the painful stuff...  
> 
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	16. XVI: Steam and Buns & Encircling Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the very early update, I'm very busy today and wanted to rather be early than late :)

**Steam and Buns**

When Ryou, Honda and Jonouchi arrived at the hospital, the hospital café was busy and crowded with injured and elderly people with their relatives. Jonouchi checked his phone and saw that Mokuba had called him twice. He decided to call back, but no one picked up. When they approached the nurse’s station, Honda felt relief. The young nurse was gone. Or so he thought. He was startled when someone tugged on his sleeve while Jonouchi and Ryou made their way to the nurse’s station. 

“Hey!” the young nurse smiled shyly. 

“Ehm. Hi.” he said awkwardly, trying not to sound annoyed. 

“So, I guess you’re here to get news about that old man and his grandson again?” she purred. 

Honda wasn’t sure if he wanted to gag or just straight up shove her away. He checked Jonouchi and Ryou at the nurse’s station and saw the nurse shaking her head apologetically. For Yuugi, Honda thought. He had to do this; it was the only way to get information about Yuugi and his grandfather. Honda turned slightly sideway, took a step closer to the young nurse. 

“Yes, I’d like to know more about them, if you have any information?” The young nurse blushed at the sudden attention and looked up, Honda’s face ever so close to hers. 

“What do I get in exchange?” she asked, raising an eyebrow as a tease. 

Honda wanted to vomit. “Do you have a personal bathroom or something, maybe I can show you what I could give you in exchange?” he tried to say in the most seductive way possible, which must have worked out just fine. 

The young nurse looked around, nervous, and checked if anyone saw them. Jonouchi and Ryou were still trying to speak to the nurse at the desk, but she still frequently shook her head. The nurse pulled Honda on his shirt and dragged him into a corner. ‘Handicap bathroom’. She unlocked it with her key and pushed Honda inside, following him closely. She then locked it. Great, Honda thought, at least there is a toilet to throw up in right after. 

“What's your name?” the nurse asked, while making sure that the bathroom was locked. 

Honda wanted to get this over with as quick as possible, so he tried to play the rough route. He grabbed the nurse by her shoulders, turned her and pushed her against the cold bathroom wall. Getting close to her ear, Honda made sure she felt his whisper on her ear and neck. 

“I don’t think this matters. Give me the information and you won’t regret it darling”. 

She shuddered in excitement. “How do I know if I can trust you?” her voice was shaking with arousal. Honda slowly went closer to her ear, let his mouth wander down and kissed her neck first, and then he bit into it lightly. She gasped in excitement and surprise. Honda didn’t stop. He made sure she felt his teeth, his tongue and his lips all around her neck. The mix between suction, pain and the graze of lips made the young nurse moan and she looked up to keep focus. 

When Honda broke the contact she almost moved with him, demanding more. “So, can you provide some information?” a sly smile (and a suppressed gag reflex) spread across his lips. She tried to say something, but her voice was gone. She cleared her throat, and finally was able to speak. 

“So the boy didn’t come back at all. The CT of the old guy was alright, he is fine, and he seems to be slowly recovering. He is still a bit demanding and aggressive, but hour-by-hour it gets less. The pressure from the bleeding in his brain may just have irritated him, or maybe it was the sedation. We suspect he can leave in around 1-2 weeks. Now?” she rushed and seemed out of breath. Honda had all he needed to know.

And he wanted to leave so bad now. Maybe he could just run away? The nurse grabbed him by his sides and pulled him close. Their clothes touched and Honda had to use all of his self-control to not push her to the side and leave. The young nurse’s hands wandered down to Honda’s ass and she grabbed it tightly and stronger than he expected. It caught him by surprise and he thrust his hips forward unintentionally, making the nurse misinterpret the signal. 

Honda only noticed now that she had changed from her work outfit into a short skirt and a light rose button-up shirt. For her age, so Honda thought, she had quite the size to her breasts. Honda took her arms and pushed them above her on the wall. If it had to be done, then he wanted to be in control. Holding her arms still, he tried to think of an escape plan. 

“So?” she purred. Her voice was so obnoxious. Honda lifted a leg and slowly rubbed between her legs, making her squirm and wiggle under the touch. She tried to free her hands and she wanted more, but Honda was anywhere from being aroused. He probably wouldn’t get a hard on even if he tried, and in addition he was still questioning parts of his sexuality at the moment.

A loud knock interrupted the young nurse’s wiggling and aching for more. Honda answered, almost too loud. “Yes?”

“Thank God Honda, we were looking for you, are you alright? You know this is a handicap bathroom?” The gods heard him. He quickly shoved the nurse aside, saw her angry glare, and rushed to the exit. Unlocking it, he made sure to quickly close the door behind him to not let his friends see what he was about to do. 

“ALRIGHT!” he exclaimed, too enthusiastically and too loud. “Let’s grab some food or something?” Honda almost jogged into the direction of the cafeteria, leaving Jonouchi and Ryou startled, but they caught up quickly. 

In the cafeteria, they saw Mokuba standing around, obviously looking for someone. When Jonouchi called out, Mokuba turned and his eyes lit up at the sight of the three friends standing there. He quickly rushed into their direction. 

“I tried to call you to say I’m here, but my phone died, and now it’s currently charging at the very convenient station over there!” pointing at the charging station, Ryou nodded, but Honda and Jonouchi’s eyes were already directed towards all the good bakery stuff. “I think we should grab a snack and maybe try to find Yuugi or Sugoroku later? We couldn’t get the nurse to say anything, what a bummer.” Jou sounded more delighted by the sweet and savoury goods than annoyed by the situation. 

Honda cleared his throat, loading different types of baking goods onto his plate. Karepan, Melonpan, weirdly shaped bread with cheese and a hot dog. “I actually know more about this, I met this young nurse on the hallway and I... Well, got some information out of her. Let’s sit down and I’ll tell you about it”. 

Mokuba also bought a Karepan while Ryou decided to go for the cheese bun. They all got some sodas or tea, paid and sat down to eat. Honda felt shame for his actions, but for Yuugi’s sake, it was worth it. He started nibbling on his Karepan and decided to narrate the full story of the young nurse, the information, and their incident in the handicap bathroom.

After informing everyone about what happened and about what Sugoroku was up to now (and he also got some rude comments from Jou and some judgemental stares from Ryou), the group decided to head back to the Game Shop. Upon exiting the hospital, Ryou’s phone started ringing.

* * *

**Encircling Thoughts**

It felt like paradise when Kaiba entered the shower after ages of being in his high-tech gear. Usually he was not one to enjoy or waste time during a shower and tried to quickly get over with it, but this time, he cherished every second. The warm water ran down his back, carrying all of the sand that was finally leaving his hair. It was almost a divine experience. Nevertheless, Kaiba couldn’t rest, even after his shower and some convenience store food that Roland brought along. The conversation he had with Mokuba in the car bothered him. 

It really made him ponder about what his younger brother said about his ‘obsession’. Was he really obsessed with Atem? Was he a bad brother? Ever since he got beaten in a Duel years ago, all he wanted was revenge. Destruction. To recover his broken, previously unbeaten ass. 

Kaiba sat down on a very expensive light blue leather sofa. Dressed in a white shirt with some high brand but pretty average looking white sweatpants, he tried to savour every bite of his meal. But he couldn’t, really. So many thoughts circled his head, and his heart felt heavy, although he would never admit that to anybody but himself. 

All that Kaiba ever strived for after the Pharaoh left was his rival’s complete obliteration. He wanted to break every little piece of confidence, anything that was left of him. Every day, he almost mechanically went to search for evidence, for any tracks to find him and revive him. And then he found the puzzle pieces. The excavation was expensive, and he received a lot of criticism for it, but he did not care at all. Now, thinking back, he must have seemed like a maniac. Kaiba chuckled to himself, the empty chuckle of a fool. He  _ was  _ obsessed with Atem. He forgot to take care of his little brother. EVERYTHING was about Atem. For a split second, Kaiba thought that maybe he had feelings for the Pharaoh, then quickly pushed that thought away deep inside his subconscious. Ridiculous. This was only about his ego, was it not? 

Nonetheless, there was no time to think about anything past. Kaiba lost. He probably would receive multiple chances to rematch now since his rival was amongst the living. Would he ever ask for a rematch though? He lost during the only chance he thought he’d have. Not even his blue-eyed ultimate white dragon could do anything... and to think that the Pharaoh wiped away his last life points with something like Kuriboh? It made a grudge build up in Kaiba’s chest. A painful one he didn’t yet come to terms with. 

Kaiba’s thoughts raced back and forth between something that felt like guilt and pent up anger. It was an inner tension he barely could take. He got up. He sat down. He ate a bite of rice. Nothing worked to calm his almost unbearable thoughts. At some point, he decided to work again. With his working laptop on his lap, he started reprogramming the codes of the other Yuugi. He was called Atem, Kaiba told himself. He wanted to adjust him more to something real, even if he never would fight against the AI again. Kaiba started by changing the skin color. When he was still Yuugi, his skin had the same colour. Now, being an ancient egyptian Pharaoh, his skin had a natural tan. The clothing stayed the same. The voice was pitch perfect. So was his perfectly coiffed hair. There was something about his eyes that was different. He tried to change or find it in massive amounts of codes, but he probably would have to just connect the responsible machine to his neural network to make it perfect.

After only 30 minutes of working, he slammed his laptop. This was not helping his thoughts; it was not helping his tension to come loose. For the first time ever in his whole life, Kaiba wished he had someone to talk to. He felt lost inside of his head. Pacing up and down in the Kaiba mansion, Seto Kaiba tried literally everything to relax his mind. He drank a coffee, and replied to some irrelevant emails from work. 

Stressed out by his inability to handle his intrusive thoughts, he decided to get dressed again and go back to work at the company headquarters. Changing into his signature ‘white coat, black pants’ work outfit, Seto found a way to channel his frustration and anger. He was simply going to do research on how to travel to or summon a god. He almost forgot about Osiris. About that little shit that made him gamble for lives, that made him take Atem back. 

“Roland, pick me up in five minutes, I will return to the company.”

“Yes Sir.”

If it always was that simple to achieve what one wants. Kaiba checked his phone. No word from his brother, or anyone else. But why would they contact him anyway? He is, after all, a cold jerk. Maybe a cold and lonely jerk. The new intrusive and unsettling thought was also quickly to be pushed far back into his subconsciousness. He wasn’t lonely. He wasn’t a jerk. Or more, he probably would never admit that to himself. Kaiba took his work laptop and exited the mansion.

On the way to the KC, Seto vividly remembered Mokuba’s speech and tried to shake the thoughts away. It was difficult. Arriving at KC, Seto Kaiba did not waste time on anything and strictly went into his office, turning on the coffee machine, sighing. Inhaling the scent of coffee brewing already had the effect of getting the work juices flowing.

Or so he thought. Workaholic Seto Kaiba only managed to sit at his desk and stare at his laptop and still empty coffee cup for almost a solid hour. He checked the clock. It was already quite late in the afternoon. He blinked. Another 30 minutes had passed. Angry about his lost time and the grudge he could not accept, he decided that it was time to go back to the game shop. He needed to unload his grudge onto Atem. It was his fault after all. He probably planned the whole thing with Osiris together. And maybe he could find Mokuba there as well. The thought made him almost steam and shiver in anger. Mokuba preferring Atem over himself...

Adjusting his coat, Kaiba rushed out of his office without so much as a single glare for his employees, and took one of the company cars. He could not rely on Roland right now and decided to just rush to the shop himself. Speeding through the streets of Domino city in a car that screamed money (and also custom designed to look a bit like a blue-eyes white dragon), Kaiba didn’t know what to expect from his rather impulsive decision.

**  
**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	17. XVII Quiet Lies & Calling back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another early update :) Tight schedule for me atm, sorry!
> 
> (not that you would complain about it being early, RIGHT?)

**Quiet Lies**

“Hey Atem, anything new?” Ryou was nervous. He didn’t expect Atem to actually call him, but here they were, an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh on a flip phone talking with a person who used to be possessed by a vengeful and evil spirit. What do you know?

“Hello Ryou. I wanted to inform you that I found Yuugi. He fell asleep in the bathtub, but he is fine.” Atem’s voice sounded strained, like he was holding back something. Little did Ryou know that the Pharaoh was currently standing in the kitchen of the Mutou residence trying not to cry or shout, a smudgy bruise on his arm and his attire fully wet and dripping. Atem called Ryou before, but Yuugi’s desperate sobs were too much even for him. He didn’t want Ryou to suspect anything right now. He didn’t want anyone to see his Aibou like this, and he surely wasn’t done arguing with him.

“Oh, what?” Atem heard Ryou talk to someone else repeating what he basically just said. “Is Yuugi alright, Atem? Do you need us to come, like right now?” 

Atem thought about it. Maybe it would be better if everyone came to figure this problem out. Then again, Yuugi probably would be very upset once the others found out what his intentions were.

“No offense Ryou,” Atem cautiously approached the subject “he told me he was very tired and he just fell asleep. He is in fact still sleeping now- “ Atem heard a loud sob coming from the bathroom and prayed to the gods that Ryou didn’t catch it, “and I think it’s for the best if we just leave him for tonight. I’ll take care of him.”

Ryou went quiet on the other side of the line. Uneasiness made Atem ponder up and down. Did he hear the cry from Yuugi? Then, he heard Ryou mumble something and, without any warning, Jonouchi’s voice rang through the speaker, loud and annoyed.

“Yo Atem, you sure Yuug’ is alright? That text message...” Jonouchi sounded deeply concerned. Atem had to think of a way on how to reassure him that everything was alright even though it definitely wasn’t.

“Jonouchi, he fell asleep, the phone was next to the bathtub. He probably pushed the send button drifting away. It’s okay. I think he needs rest. We can meet tomorrow morning if you all would like to?” 

His friend grunted. Jonouchi talked for a short while with what seemed to be Honda and Ryou... And Mokuba? In the background.

_ It was awfully quiet. _

They argued about coming over right away, but Ryou made sure that ‘Yuugi’s wishes’ were to be respected and that once he recovers he probably would want to spend his time with the Pharaoh first. Atem sighed. He felt so broken and betrayed. Hearing Yuugi’s friends, which seemingly also were his friends, argue made his anger flare up again for no particular reason.

_ It was awfully quiet. _

“Alright bud! Promise to call though if you have anything new!” 

“Will do, Jonouchi. Thank you very much. I’m very sorry! See you later.” Atem’s voice almost cracked and he tried his very best to keep the neutral tone up. Jonouchi handed the phone back to Ryou.

“Thanks for calling, Atem. See you!” With that, Ryou hung up and so did Atem. Atem’s arms flopped down to his sides and the phone slipped out of his hands, dropping on the floor.

_ It was awfully quiet. _

Atem propped himself on the counter next to the sink, sighing. Why did he feel so angry? Why was he so angry at Yuugi? He still couldn’t wrap his head around it. Or was he angry at himself? Loaded thoughts were viciously circling around in his head. Atem put his head in his hands while his elbows were resting on the edge of the sink. This was his first day with a real beating heart, and it barely felt more than pain and anger so far. What a great start.

In the meantime, Ryou, Honda, Jonouchi and Mokuba decided to go grab some quick Ramen for dinner. All sitting in a line at a newly opened Ramen bar, the group contemplated about the eventful day that was about to end, when Mokuba suddenly spoke up.

“Hey, can I maybe crash at someone’s place tonight?” Jonouchi and Honda turned to him, noodles hanging out of their mouth, while Ryou made sure to wipe his face first and swallow the bite of Nori and Spring Onions in his mouth.

“Iff ‘ere sommfing wrong?” Jonouchi asked with a full mouth, chewing still, almost splattering his food across the small bar. He earned a judgmental stare from the shop owner but he didn’t notice. 

“Yeah,” Ryou joined in, with his voice in full control, other than Honda and Jonouchi, who mumbled through their noodles “Do you need any help or what’s up?”

Mokuba sighed, because that was like 80% of his vocal usage nowadays. “I got into a fight with Seto and I don’t want to face him tonight.” It was the truth after all. Since he spoke to Jonouchi about his problems as a ‘temporary CEO’ and his anger, he felt like he could trust the whole group with any problem. Honda was about to speak up, probably wanting to ask some uncomfortable questions about Mokuba, but Jonouchi was quicker in swallowing his noodles.

“No prob, kiddo. You can crash at my place, I have a spare futon.” Jonouchi smiled, black sesame seeds shining between his teeth. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Honda now asked, his mouth noodle and soup free. 

“I just want some distance to think about future actions considering Seto now. That’s all.” 

The others nodded and quickly dropped the subject, changing it to the newest games and Duel Monsters stuff. Mokuba leaked some new concept about a game of space chess that could actually take place outside of the atmosphere. After a good meal, some more lighthearted talk and the decision that Honda was going to inform Anzu about everything that happened, the group separated for the night.

Atem was in front of the kitchen sink now, pulling his skirt up, revealing the upper part of his legs. Sick of the dripping piece of cloth, he wrung the skirt out. Suddenly he heard a hitched breath from behind. Turning around, his eyes widened.

“Mou hitori no boku?”

* * *

**Calling back**

Marik was standing on the edge of a cliff. It was way too high for his taste, but he couldn’t do differently than look down. His stomach felt funny doing so. He turned around to see Ishizu, Rishid and... his father? They were all looking at him as if they were trying to motivate him to do something stupid. Marik shook his head and blinked, suddenly standing in the tomb room of the nameless Pharaoh, a door with the crozier on top in front of him, emitting a creepy glow. No matter where he looked, he couldn’t find an exit, nor was he able to find his siblings. With a loud crack, the door started glowing even more and opened slowly. Marik wasn’t sure how to react and just kept staring at the door in front of him. The more it opened, the colder it got around him, until his teeth started to chatter and he rubbed his arms to try to warm up.

Feeling something odd, Marik reached for his hair, only to feel it being ruffled up in an unusual manner. Why of all things would his hair be different now, he thought to himself. The door gave another loud crack and rushed open with one swift and quick motion. Flinching, Marik felt a headache in the back of his head.

“Long time no see, Marik, or what was your name? Yami Marik?” a rather light voice with a sharp undertone asked. Yami Marik? 

“I’m not Yami Marik!” he tried to shout, but the only thing that came out was “Yes, master.” Marik tried to cover his mouth in shock, but his hands couldn’t move. It was like his body did not belong to him anymore. He knelt, and saw a dark figure in front of him. Dark and blood stained bandages covered almost all of the person’s body, and Marik had a vague assumption of it being Osiris in front of him. His headache got stronger, and he tried to mentally take control of his body. It worked, somehow.

“I’m not Yami Marik! I am Marik Ishtar!” The scenery changed again, and suddenly Marik was lying somewhere, barely able to breathe. He tried to get up and hit his head. Cursing something in arabic, he laid his palms against the surface just beyond his face. With enough force, he pushed it away and he sat up. He was in a small room, poorly lit, and he did almost flinch when he noticed he was sitting in a sarcophagus.

“You are not who I was expecting...” a strange voice whispered out of the corner “Who are you?” Marik got up and brushed the excess dust off his clothing. 

“Ah, forgive me.” the man cleared his throat “My name is Bakura. Thief King Bakura, if you would like to say so. Maybe you have heard of me, or of Kul Erna, the city that I lived in. Before it got basically wiped from the map, so to say.”

Oh, Marik knew exactly who Thief King Bakura was. He did, after all, make a deal with that wicked Bakura. When Thief King Bakura stepped out of the corner into the light, he did not expect a person with a very similar tan. 

“But you’re not that guy that I -”

“No, I’m not Yami Bakura. I’m not Zorc. None of that is me. I am Bakura, who lived in Khemet a long time ago. The one that created Yami Bakura by merging with Zorc...” The voice of Bakura seemed less strong and cynical before, and Marik wasn’t sure if he could trust the person in front of him. He remained on edge and kept his guard up.

“What do you want?” Marik asked, question as sharp as a knife’s edge.

“I want you to find Ryou Bakura for me. Since I reached you instead of him, your knowledge about Ancient Egypt must be sufficient for this, or maybe you experienced a lot of hatred too in your life.” Marik mentally stuttered at Bakura’s words. He hit the nail on the head. How could he know such a thing anyway? Still hesitant about Bakura’s intentions, Marik shrugged the hesitation away. What was there to lose anyway? Not awaiting an answer, Bakura attempted to explain the situation as best as he could.

“I met Ryou before and I asked him for forgiveness. Then Osiris meddled with our session and made Ryou see and do terrible things. I want him to know that it was not his fault, and that Osiris has been taken care of.” Bakura had started to slowly pace up and down in the small room, scratching his chin while he was narrating, his sandals shuffling on the ground. Marik’s attention was caught when he heard the name Osiris. He took a closer look at Bakura and saw the scar on his face and his red coat, stained with spots of darker red. He read about Osiris going berserk and being able to fool around with visions of chosen ones. That was in that one book he kept making fun of, since it was made of complete random theories that were not based on any research. Just as Marik wanted to ask questions about all of this, Bakura silenced him with a hiss. 

“I’m not so sure about Osiris being gone to be honest. Please find Ryou and try to contact me. I hope you know how to communicate with my kind.” With that, Bakura started fading, and the room began to spin. Malik covered his eyes to not get dizzy. When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in front of the crozier door and it slammed close right before his eyes. Marik jumped back in surprise, but there was nothing behind him. He just fell. He screamed and tried to find something to hold onto, but he sped up and fell faster and faster. Nothing could stop his fall, and when he finally saw the floor approaching, he sent one last prayer to the gods. Upon crashing onto the floor, Marik ripped his eyes open and panted.

“Are you alright, Marik?” Rishid asked. Dizzy and not really in his head yet, Marik looked around and checked if he was hurt anywhere. Nothing. He ran a hand through his hair. It felt normal. Then he realized that he was still in the plane, the movie he was watching over already. The whole cabin was only very dimly lit.

“Ah, yes, I’m fine Rishid. It was only a nightmare.” 

“One of those kinds again?” Rishid asked, raising concern in his voice. 

“Similar, but not the exact kind.” Marik did not want to tell Rishid the whole truth about the dream, since he already had issues remembering it himself. Marik zoned out trying to remember the dream, when he heard a rustle from beside him. It was a water bottle. And Rishid was holding it.

“You were asleep when the flight attendant passed by, so I asked for an additional bottle of water for you, if you’d like.” Was Rishid genuinely being nice to him? “So, do you want it, or do you just want to keep staring at it?” Was Rishid… smiling? Marik rubbed his eyes and pinched his left arm, just to make sure he wasn’t still dreaming. Rishid looked at him, expression now flat, not further questioning his brother’s actions.

“Ah, yes, please..” he snatched the water bottle out of Rishid’s hand playfully. “Thank you...” His brother nodded and then turned back to the screen, quickly being sucked back into his movie. Marik decided to rewatch the movie he fell asleep to. After a couple of sips of water and a readjustment of the volume, Marik started watching the movie again, but quickly fell into a dreamless sleep, his head flopping to the left side to rest on Rishid’s shoulder. Rishid smiled and continued his movie while carefully pausing Marik’s. Maybe his brother really wasn’t all too bad.

**  
**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just gonna say that I'm amazed by how far you all are reading into this. Thank you so much <3.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	18. XVIII: Angers clashing & Discrepancy

** Angers clashing **

“Mou hitori no boku?”

It was Yuugi, standing there, looking tremendously pathetic. He was dressed in boxers and the shirt he previously wore. He must have not bothered to dry his body well enough, as the grey shirt showed wet patches and his hair was dripping. In disbelief, he just stood there and stared at Atem and Atem stood there, just staring back. Neither of them dared to talk.

Atem felt his anger flare up again. The moment he looked at Yuugi was the moment he felt a sensation under his skin starting to boil and itch. He wanted to run over to Yuugi. To hold him and hug him and thank the gods that he is alive, but also so slap him across the face until he was unconscious. 

“Are you... real?” Yuugi’s frail and weak voice asked, slightly cracking. Atem huffed. He tried to swallow down his anger. It didn’t work. He closed his eyes and rubbed them with his fingers while nodding.

“Yes, Yuugi, I am real if you couldn’t tell by -”

“OH MY GOD I CAN’T BELIEVE IT MOU HITORI NO BOKU!” Yuugi’s voice almost had its full strength back and he started quickly bolting towards Atem.

“Stop RIGHT where you are!” Atem yelled, his anger taking over, a dark but invisible aura around him. Yuugi froze instantaneously, confusion in his eyes. He took a couple of steps back and looked down at his bare feet. So this was how Atem was going to greet him after leaving for what they had thought was for good?

“Is this how you are going to be after all we’ve been through?” Yuugi smiled bitterly. It was a pained smile. He felt tears build up in his eyes and he clenched his hands into fists. His shoulders started shaking, but he did not allow himself to cry again in front of Atem. In the meantime, Atem crossed his arms and shifted his weight onto one leg. His eyes were cold and Yuugi could have sworn their color was darker than he remembered.

“And what about what you were doing? Was that an adequate hello? What do you think I just had to go through finding you in a bathtub nearly...” Atems words were cold as ice. Yuugi felt some sort of anger boiling up. If Atem never left, if Atem chose to stay with him, none of this would have ever happened. This was all his fault after all. The hallucinations, the self harming, all of it. Instinctively, noticing his bare legs, Yuugi tried to cover them awkwardly, earning an irritated glare from Atem. 

“I... I...” Yuugi stuttered, his own anger barely in control. Atem made an incomprehensible noise, but Yuugi understood that he should just shut his mouth. Atem noticed the scars, the little scratches and the bruised patches of skin on Yuugi’s thighs. Another gush of anger rushed through him and he asked himself why he didn’t just let Yuugi drown in the bathtub, regretting that thought half a second later. Atem let out a low and dangerous growl, making Yuugi slightly raise his shoulders and duck his head in fear.

“Is this the thank you for all the things we’ve been through, Yuugi. Is it? Was I supposed to find out you  _ killed _ yourself only a couple of months after I left to rest my soul? What has gotten - “

“You don’t know ANYTHING, Atem!” Yuugi suddenly shouted, cutting Atem off and leaving him startled in the middle of his sentence. He didn’t even have the chance to talk back when Yuugi already continued, his voice not quite shouting, but very loud and distressed. 

“This is all your fault anyway! You PROMISED to stay with me Atem, you promised! And after Dartz took my soul you never wanted to be apart again. You stupid liar! You broke my heart, you broke everything I ever was! I was your light, and you were my darkness. Whom was I to shine upon after you returned to the afterlife?”

“Are you even LISTENING to yourself,  _ AIBOU _ ?” The way Atem emphasised Aibou made Yuugi’s heart cry in pain. It felt fake, it felt insulting, but Atem was not close to being done with scolding his ‘other half’.

“Are you seriously telling me that it is my fault that you are weak enough to not endure life without me? You knew I was only a spirit, it was a matter of time until I left, in any way, afterlife or not.” Atem sounded like a mixture of rolling thunder and striking lightning. Tears welled up in Yugi’s eyes again. Atem’s whole body was shaking again, in either anger or something else. Suddenly, Atem made a noise and looked to the floor. Both of them were silent for a second when Yuugi looked up to continue yelling at Atem, only to be caught off guard by the tears repeatedly hitting the floor. They were not his own. Atem was crying. Yuugi blinked, feeling his own tears running down his own face now. He never really saw Atem full on cry. Jonouchi told him about the time when his soul got kidnapped, how he cried there, but that was all the weakness he ever saw from his other side.

“I don’t even...” Atem gnarled, trying not so sob between words, “I don’t even know anymore why I came back. I should have stayed in the afterlife. Why did I even want to speak to you again?”

Yuugi froze and his eyes widened, thick tears still slowly falling off of his chin. His chest tightened and the anger was immediately gone, replaced by utter pain and desperation. His other half, mou hitori no boku. The words hurt too much. He didn't know where to put the pain anymore.

“Maybe I should have just died so you would never have to deal with me.” were Yuugi’s last words before he turned around and started rushing towards the bathroom.

* * *

** Discrepancy **

“Hey kiddo, what do you say to some ice cream? There is this amazing shaved ice cream place like super close to my new place!” Jonouchi smiled widely as they walked down the street. His wallet was already in his hand and he was counting some spare money while walking.

“Your new place? I didn’t know you moved out?” Mokuba raised his eyebrows in confusion. “But yeah, ice cream sounds amazing!” 

Jonouchis eyes were glowing when Mokuba agreed and he unintentionally started walking faster, aiming straight for a lit up place all the way down the street. It was nearing late evening, and the street was rather empty and the stores were all closed. Well, almost all of them. Upon arriving at the ice cream store, there were several people standing outside, mostly teens or young adults, enjoying shaved ice cream. Mokuba and Jonouchi waited in line for almost fifteen minutes and had a lot of time to choose their flavors. When it was their turn, Mokuba went for grape and pineapple, while Jonouchi took green apple and black sesame. Mokuba wanted to draw out his wallet but Jonouchi waved it off. 

“Just because I am less rich than you are doesn’t mean I can’t buy some ice cream for a friend!” 

Mokuba smiled shyly and appreciated the gesture. “So, you said you have a new place?” Mokuba asked again, trying not to shove the delicious ice cream down his throat in godspeed. 

“Ah, ye- “ Jonouchi flinched and sucked in a breath. Mokuba almost worried for a second until he burst out laughing when Jonouchi finally swallowed a big chunk of ice cream. 

“B...brainfreeze” he huffed, holding his hand in his forehead and shaking his head. “Yes, I moved out a couple of days ago!” Jonouchi went quiet. Mokuba didn’t press. Jou listened to his problems, so it was his turn to listen now. “Maybe you know that my father is an alcoholic? Well, I didn’t want to handle that anymore. I feel horrible for leaving him behind, but it’s time to move on, y’know?” Jonouchi’s voice almost broke at the end of his sentence and Mokuba wasn’t sure what to say. 

Without pushing the subject further, Jonouchi jumped up, announcing that his ice cream was a delicious chaotic combination. Giggling, Mokuba quickly took the last few bites of his ice cream, squinting his eyes at the brainfreeze that slowly crawled up his face.

“Let’s go, we can play games or watch some movies. I got plenty of snacks. There may be a lot of unpacked boxes still though, so sorry for that, kid!” 

Mokuba said nothing and just followed Jonouchi further down another street. After a quick stop at the convenience store to get Mokuba a toothbrush, they continued on, the streets getting narrower as the district became shadier. Standing in front of a rather rundown building, Jonouchi made sure to check his surroundings before pulling out his key and opening the apartment complex. Mokuba started feeling bad for Jonouchi. He moved out to live in a beatdown area just so he did not have to live at home again. Maybe he could convince Seto to financially help Jonouchi? He almost laughed when he imagined the conversation that would take place. 

They entered the building and went up a poorly maintained steel staircase coated with rust. Jonouchi felt Mokuba’s eyes wander around and for a moment, he felt ashamed for his apartment. Mokuba was Seto Kaiba’s brother after all, and Seto was a rich bastard. So inviting the brother of his rich rival into his half broken apartment was… wild.

When they entered, Mokuba looked around curiously, scanning the rather big one-room apartment in front of him. There were still boxes, but other than that and the paint that started crumbling off the wall, it was neat and hygienic. It smelled like apples inside of Jonouchi’s apartment, and Mokuba could only guess after the ice cream that his friend must like everything about apples. There was a small TV in the corner and a mattress that equally was used as a couch. 

Once they took off their shoes, got into some comfortable slippers and washed their hands, Jonouchi took a spare futon outside of the top of his wardrobe. The room really was quite spacious. In addition to the small TV and the mattress, there was also a desk with an old laptop, a wardrobe, a broken dresser and two small extra rooms, one a kitchen and one a tiny bathroom. 

Jonouchi rolled out the futon for Mokuba and then threw a towel in his direction, landing a straight hit in Mokuba’s face. Mokuba tumbled but didn’t fall and looked at the towel.

“I also got you a spare set of clothing, you look super uncomfortable in that white suit, kiddo! I mean it suits you, get it? Haha!” Mokuba sighed at that typical ‘dad’ joke he just had to listen to. He thanked Jonouchi, took the spare set of clothing that will probably look like he was wearing a tent and disappeared in the bathroom.

Jonouchi took out his phone and checked the time. It was probably too late to call Yuugi and see if he was alright, but Atem was with him, so he must be safe. Once Mokuba came out of the bathroom, it was Jonouchi’s turn. In his tiny bathroom, he looked into the mirror and questioned if it was a good idea to take Mokuba into his home. His brother would be raging once he found out. Then again, it was his fault that Mokuba needed a place to crash in the first place. Jonouchi didn’t want to invest any more thoughts into the matter and took a nice and hot shower.

Once they were both in comfy clothing, and yes, Mokuba did look like he was wearing a tent, they decided to watch some stupid comedic movies and maybe play some beat ‘em up video games. They didn’t expect any interruptions that evening and just hung out like good friends would.

**  
  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are getting closer to the end, only 11 chapters left!
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	19. XIX: Warmth & Lemons, two sides

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> Quick warning: This chapter includes an attempt at sexual assault.

**Warmth**

_ “Maybe I should have just died so you would never have to deal with me.” were Yuugi’s last words before he turned around and started rushing towards the bathroom. _

  
Atem knew better than to let Yuugi just have his way. Yuugi’s attempt to run away failed, and Atem caught up faster than expected. With a rough movement, he grabbed Yuugi on his shirt and yanked him back. Yuugi shrieked, caught by surprise, tripped and slumped onto his knees. Atem did not expect him to just crash down so easily, and he almost tripped too, regaining his balance in the last second by letting Yuugi go.

“Why are you being so cruel to me, Atem? You should have just let me die...” 

Yuugi didn’t feel any anger anymore. He knew what he said before was not true, he knew it was just an overload of emotions speaking. Atem was not to blame. He had done everything right. He could have also just lost at the ceremonial duel and Atem would probably have stayed. 

“I’m so sorry Atem, I’m sorry, please... I’m so sorry.” Yuugi repeated the words again and again, feeling Atem’s presence behind him. Atem just stood there, looking down, questioning his anger outburst. Yuugi looked so fragile, so broken. He had tried to kill himself and had clearly hurt himself before that. Atem’s next words burned like acid poured into open eyes.

“How am I supposed to ever look into your face again without feeling like this?” His words were monotone and quiet. They carried no emotion. He just stood behind Yuugi, not helping him up, not touching him. After contemplating for a couple of seconds, Yuugi felt something strange. He felt something happening to Atem that made him… a threat? It was like he felt Zorc breathing on his neck or something similar. Atem took a sharp breath and then shouted down at Yuugi.

“HOW ARE YOU EVER GOING TO MA -”

The front door, which was in line of sight, slammed open, thus interrupting Atem.

“Pharaoh, Mokuba, where the hell are you?” Kaiba yelled into the apartment as he entered. Then he froze as he saw the scene in front of him. “Yuugi. Pharaoh. I was looking for at least one of you. I will have you obliterated, Pharaoh! I wish I could just send you back to the afterlife when I crush your soul!” 

Atem looked at Kaiba, calmly, and let him realise the situation. Kaiba looked at Atem, then at Yuugi, then at his smartwatch. Looking back at Yuugi and Atem, he saw that both of them were fairly wet. He saw that Yuugi was crying, and that Atem may have cried as well, and for a split second, he felt something like empathy. Probably just because he was tired, Kaiba would never be empathic towards anyone but maybe Mokuba.

For a moment, Kaiba forgot why he really came to the Game Shop. Seeing Yuugi crying on the floor, Atem standing there cold and emotionless, he wasn’t quite sure how to react, so he did it in the most Kaiba way possible.

“Can you dorks talk it out and be at peace again, I don’t have time for your shit right now. There are duels to be done and a weak Pharaoh’s soul is to be crushed. I will wait downstairs. Make it quick.”

Kaiba would not wait downstairs, he would leave the scene because he knew things were not alright. Besides, Mokuba didn’t pick up his phone and wasn’t to be seen anywhere. He could try to dial one of Yuugi’s pathetic friends, but that would make him weak. 

As Kaiba went downstairs, he heard Yuugi starting to sob and almost decided to turn around. He would break his morals if he started caring now. With an uneasy feeling in his chest, Kaiba got back into his car. He knew Mokuba would hate him for what he was about to do, but this was a necessary step. Seto Kaiba fiddled with his smartwatch and the screen in his car already showed him a route he was supposed to drive. Even though Mokuba had only been kidnapped once, he was still in danger way too often. To avoid having to search for him like a stupid detective all the time, he installed a tracker one every digital device Mokuba owned. They worked offline and they would tell the exact location of the device.

Kaiba tried to repress a yawn. The past days had been wild and he felt like he was experiencing a ‘transdimensional’ jetlag. The fatigued feeling was almost immediately wiped away when he saw where the tracker indicated Mokuba’s phone was. 

Jonouchi Katsuya’s new place. He frowned. Were they plotting against him? That stupid puppy and his brother, in one house? Driven by anger, Seto Kaiba made his way to the location, taking the recommended route, but not taking the recommended time of 14 minutes. He arrived 6 minutes later.

Atem still looked down on Yuugi. Kaiba’s words somewhat hit him harder than he would admit. He almost forgot why they were fighting. His anger was replaced by guilt and pain. Hearing Yuugi sob so desperately right in front of him made his heart throb in pain. Yuugi just cried, and cried, and cried, without stopping and without paying attention to his surroundings. Atem felt like shit. He put Yuugi under massive amounts of distress, right after he nearly...

A nervous feeling settled in Atem’s chest and he was not sure if he could forgive himself for all the things he just said to his light. The only light that kept him together. Yuugi just didn’t stop crying. His heart shattered more with every sob he heard out of Yuugi’s mouth.

Without giving it further thoughts, Atem got onto his knees behind Yuugi. The crying didn’t stop. When Atem put his head on Yuugi’s back. The crying changed, but it didn’t stop. When Atem put his hands around Yuugi’s belly, hands resting over Yuugi’s belly button, the crying started to cease, slowly.

And once the crying stopped, Atem felt a hand on his and he smiled.

* * *

**Lemons, two Sides**

When Ryou arrived home, he was greeted by a welcomed emptiness. He didn’t quite know where his parents were this time, but he had stopped caring a while ago. Checking the time on his phone, Ryou felt a shocking shiver go down his spine and rushed to the bathroom. It was getting late and he forgot his medication for the day. 

After what happened during Ryou’s childhood, the things he saw with his father, his obsession with the Millennium Ring and how Ryou felt Zorc invade his soul left him fairly traumatized. The therapy and medication Ryou started soon once they came back from Egypt 7 months ago were the least he could do. Of course, it was hard to speak about it. What was he supposed to say? ‘Oh, I happened to be tormented by an evil spirit over years, can you fix me?’ Yeah, no. Instead, Ryou chose to lie to his therapist, keeping the core true. He said that he felt like he had been controlled and tormented by his own mind, and that his father was also a part of his trauma. Naturally, his father did not like this, but then again, he too had stopped caring a while ago.

So Ryou was now in so-called trauma therapy for almost half a year now and took medication. Not antipsychotics, he was being told. He wasn’t sure if he was to believe that, since his pills always were unlabeled, but additionally, he couldn’t care less. They helped, he felt much better, almost normal. Barely any more nightmares, no intrusive thoughts, nothing. Almost too good, he thought to himself. 

Cleaning up the kitchen since he left in a rush this morning, Ryou decided to take a nice bath and adjusted the thermostat for the bathroom while he let the bathing water run. Luxury, he giggled to himself. Leaving the bathroom, he thought about his dream with Zorc-Bakura and Thief King Bakura, his chest tightening at the thought. Avoiding panic attack - that was his new task before the bath. Ryou picked up his stress ball from his desk and made his way to the window. He tried to star-gaze for a moment, hoping that it may help calm him down or at least help him endure the rush of panic. 

_ It didn’t work.  _

Ryou started shivering and dropped his stress ball. Thoughts about the past started streaming into his consciousness, and he knew that pushing them away would only encourage them to intrude every inch of him. He learnt that with the Ring. The more you try to repress or shove something away, the more it will haunt you.

Ryou was about to freak out when he remembered a trick. Jogging into the kitchen, he opened the fridge, nervously looking for his item of desire. Grabbing the yellow fruit, Ryou thought of himself as a complete idiot. Then, he bit into it. And again. And again. And then he started to laugh.

“Why is this working?” he giggled, as the panic flooded out of his body. The giggle turned into a laugh while his face kept scrunching up until he almost had to gag from the sour taste. Putting down the lemon he just bit into like a maniac all the while still laughing at it, Ryou knew that if there was a camera hidden somewhere, he’d end up locked down in a mental asylum for sure. 

Hearing a soft beep from the bathroom, Ryou went to the bathroom, rather excited to have beaten panic and be able to relax. He undressed, did not check himself in the mirror, for obvious reasons, and slid in the bathtub. The water was enjoyable and Ryou felt his muscles relax as his worries seeped out of his mind.

An almost perfect evening.

Honda’s evening went quite differently, and if he could he would have wanted to forget about the whole day, especially with what was about to come. He decided to not ride his bicycle home and instead casually rolled it back home while walking alongside it. As he exited the hospital property, he suddenly heard someone shout, probably at him. He couldn’t really tell, since the person didn’t call him by name, but it certainly sounded like she was trying to get his attention. She, oh boy.

Honda was sure he knew who called him and he wanted to sit on his bicycle and just rush away, but the person caught up quicker. He cringed and felt his gastrointestinal fluids crawling the wrong way. He sent a curse and a prayer to wherever and begged that he just imagined the person way too close to his personal space.

“Hey there, cutie.” an annoying female voice purred. Honda swore he saw his brain from rolling his eyes so hard. He slowly turned around, holding himself on his bike.

“Eh. Hi, again.” Not that he meant to make it sound so awkward and cold, but he had just had it with that girl. She stepped closer and he could smell her perfume that covered 90% of her body scent. The 10% he could still catch was almost as awful as the perfume. He couldn’t really tell why she put him off that much nor did she give him the time to since she basically threw herself at him. He almost fell over his bicycle but his urge to push her away helped him not to fall back. 

Honda tried to politely push her away, but she clinged to him like an octopus, placing kisses on his neck and rubbing her breasts against his upper body. Trying to still be respectful, he pushed her away - this time a bit more forceful - and put the most apologetic look on his face that he could. 

“Hey, I’m... really not in the mood for that... Sorry for what happened, my friend really is not okay and his health is my priority.” he cautiously tried to say. The young nurse pouted for only a second and then threw herself at Honda again, harder this time; causing him to stumble back over his bicycle and crash down onto the ground with her on top of him. It must either have been a miracle or a cruel punishment as they fell into some kind of bush next to the sidewalk. It was already rather dark and there were absolutely no people around. Honda began to feel stressed. He could easily push her away, throw her off, anything. Being the respectful kind of guy he also did not want to do any of that, but being assaulted was also not the way this was supposed to go down. 

The young female was very glad to finally be on top of him and tried to pin him down. She spread her legs (still wearing the short skirt), and sat on top of Honda like she would ride him through the bushes behind them. The woman bent down and came close to Honda’s right ear, while he instinctively turned to the other side to not face her.

“I’m not wearing any underwear, just for you...” she whispered into his ear, and he felt her hot breath against it. Nasty, he thought. Not the good kind. Honda didn’t move for a moment, hoping she would just let off when she noticed that he was not into it. Obviously, this was not going to happen. 

With small hip movements, the woman grinded against him. She started moaning ever so lightly and Honda let out a displeased grunt, still being held by his arms, not daring to use force against her. Of course she misinterpreted the grunt and thought that he was aroused, which he wasn’t. His cock was absolutely flaccid and unexcited. 

She didn’t care. She wanted more.

“Let me show you what you missed in the restroom back at the hospital.” she panted, visually and audibly aroused. For a second, Honda thought that he won, since she kind of let his arms go and got up into a crouching position. He already wanted to roll away and bail when he felt her knees pushing deep into the flesh of his arms, causing him to flinch at the pain. His arms were going slightly numb from the pain and the pressure. What Honda did not notice after he closed his eyes somewhere during her grinding to just get it over with is that she turned around 180°. Her knees on his arms and her lower body right above his face. Honda opened his eyes to have a full exposed look at a cleanly shaved pussy that was almost drooling in excitement. Her scent was strong and Honda tried to turn his head to the side as quick as possible - but he wasn’t fast enough. 

In a swift motion she lowered her body onto his face and just sat on him. He scrunched up his face, trying to repress the urge to vomit and just catapult her away, but his arms were still numb and she was heavier than he expected her to be. 

Was this how Honda was going to experience sexual contact for the first time? He didn’t want to. In sheer disgust, he tried to turn his head away and move his arms, but she just kept rubbing her pussy along his face.

“At least lick it!” she exclaimed, annoyed while pushing her body more onto his face. Honda did not lick ‘it’. He still tried to endure everything like a champ, but when she started nestling around his belt and he heard the zipper going down, he knew two things.

First, he was probably gay, because he was so put off by her pussy it was wild.

Second, this was the point where he was over with it.

Honda’s plan was nasty and wild, but he went with it. He started by sticking his tongue out, making the woman yelp in pleasure, only to open his mouth a bit more and bite into the rather chunky outer lips of her pussy. She squeaked in pain, but more importantly, her body reacted to it, as she almost jumped up, thus decreasing the pain and numbness in Honda’s arms.

Reacting quickly and not caring about being respectful, he sent her flying off his face and body. She could catch herself as she face planted onto the pavement, but she was certainly going to carry scratches and bruises. Serves her right he thought.

Rather chaotically, Honda jumped up. He rushed to his bicycle, spitting into a bush to get rid of her taste. He didn’t care about his zipper. He didn’t care that she was crying and yelling. He just wanted to get out of the situation. Pedaling the hardest and fastest he could, she would have probably liked if he put that much effort into thrusting her. Honda took all the shortcuts he knew to cycle home.

**  
**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Officially down to the last 10 chapters, amazing.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading and staying with me <3.
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	20. XX: Silent Magician & Stuttering

**Silent Magician** ****

Atem didn’t know how long they just sat there, breathing in sync, inhaling each other's scents and longing for the exchange of body heat. It must have been somewhere after midnight when finally, Yuugi broke the comfortable silence.

“How?” was his only question, voice faint, broken and hoarse from all the crying. Atem didn’t know where to start. His brain felt foggy, his body heavy.

“I... It’s a long story, Aibou.” Atem yawned, not on purpose, but the whole dimensional travelling and the fact that he had a fully functioning human body were exhausting. His back felt sore and his legs felt numb. Not to mention his heart. A new heart, already so shattered.

Yuugi lightly giggled and Atem was more than puzzled. “You should take a shower, Mou Hitori no Boku. You... kinda smell?” Taken aback by Yuugi’s statement, Atem awkwardly started sniffing himself, and blinked in disgust. His partner gently unlocked their hands and slowly got up, so did Atem. 

“Oh Ra, I’m... Sorry for that...?” Atem blushed and looked to the side. Is this how a Pharaoh had to present himself. His skirt smelled like a wet bloody dog and he wasn’t going to imagine the smell of other places. Embarrassed still, he didn’t notice that Yuugi went out of the room and came back with a set of clothing and some towels. Atem took them, wordless, and let himself be pushed towards the bathroom by Yuugi.

While Atem was taking his time in the shower, Yuugi tried to collect his thoughts. Was any of this even real? What if he just would wake up and this was all a dream? Still trapped in his own mind, he mindlessly went to the kitchen and made two cups of tea. 

“I’m done.” a voice behind him hummed and Yuugi turned around. Atem was still there. He looked dead exhausted. Yuugi just wanted to walk up to him and hug him, but he wouldn’t dare to do anything like that. Who knew what Atem really felt? Maybe he was still angry? 

A hiccup escaped Yuugi’s throat and he felt tears, yet again, slowly making their way down his cheeks. Quickly, Yuugi turned around and stared at the tea cups resting on the counter, hoping that Atem didn’t catch him crying again. As if.

Yuugi flinched very badly when he suddenly saw two hands left and right of his body holding the counter. Then he felt a familiar warmth on his back. The warmth felt divine, and Yuugi could just have melted into it.

“Aibou... I...” Atem wanted to speak but the words got stuck in his throat and Yuugi felt the body that was lightly pressed against his back shiver. He flinched again. Atem nuzzled his face into Yuugi’s neck, trying to not yawn but utterly failing and just stayed like that. 

“Don’t cry, please.” his plea for Yuugi to stop crying did not really work, and more tears dripped down onto the counter, missing the teacups by inches. Atem’s body warmth got closer, more intense and Yuugi felt his body being slightly pushed against the counter. 

Yuugi noticed a wet sensation on his neck where Atem’s face was and reached out with his hand, only to feel some sort of liquid running down his shoulder towards his collar bone. Atem was crying too. Yuugi’s heart broke again. He pushed Atem away gently. While Atem took a step back and let go of the counter, Yuugi grabbed the teacups and turned around, trying to smile through the tears. 

“Let’s just have a cup of tea and get some rest.” he mumbled, insecure if that was too quick or too demanding while presenting one teacup to his other self. Atem smiled and carefully accepted the small teacup. He held it close to his face and took a deep breath. Startled, Yuugi also took a breath on his tea and came to a conclusion. It smelled like tea. Gazing over to search for clues in Atem’s face, he couldn’t for the love of Ra figure out why Atem just stood there inhaling the scent of tea. Yuugi frowned just before Atem looked up and blushed lightly.

“I never had this kind of tea, or any kind of tea from your country. I’m sorry, it’s a lot to take in.” his voice was somewhat unnaturally insecure and hesitant. Yuugi just nodded and took the first sip of his tea, Atem imitating him right after and widening his eyes.

“Aibou, this is delicious!” he exclaimed in a shaken honesty and took another sip, underestimating the heat the beverage held. Hissing, he stuck his tongue out and waved at it with one hand, earning an honest laugh from Yuugi’s side at his silly reaction. Atem locked eyes with Yuugi’s and his heart felt warmer. The bright smile from his Aibou felt like a remedy to his pain, and he couldn’t help but join with a light chuckle that was caught off guard again by another yawn. Yuugi gladly accepted Atem’s empty teacup after they finished off their tea, just awkwardly staring at each other. Then, he guided a sleepy and drowsy Atem to the bedroom, not daring to touch him any more than just lightly pushing his shoulder. 

“I’ll get a futon or sleep in Gramps bed. You just lay down here in our... I mean... My room and rest.” Yuugi whispered gently. Atem could barely keep his eyes open and did as told. Yuugi pulled away the sheets and Atem flopped onto the bed rather ungracefully. And he’s a Pharaoh, Yuugi thought to himself, trying not to laugh. He put the sheets over Atem, feeling much better to help someone else than to be the one needing help for once. Within the blink of an eye, Atem’s breathing turned deeper and slower. Right before Atem was fully asleep, he mumbled something that felt like a strike of lightning to Yuugi’s heart.

“How can I be sure you won’t do anything stupid again?” 

“I won’t.” Yuugi replied, but Atem was knocked out for good.

Yuugi was hesitant about leaving the room, afraid that Atem might not be here again in the morning. Fighting against many urges inside of him, he just leaned down to Atem’s resting and peaceful face, moving a wild strand out of his face and softly stroking his cheek a couple of times.

Shit, Yuugi thought while he changed his shirt to get more comfortable. His stomach almost did a somersault now that he had the chance to look at Atem up close and in person again. All the feelings that started growing long ago and that were being shoved down by sadness, emptiness and self-harm flared up again. His heart rate increased and he felt his hands get sweaty. Panic attack and butterflies in your stomach, they were not so different after all. After contemplating for a while what he could possibly do against those re-fueled feelings or how he could find out if Atem felt similar, he decided to just crash on the couch. He felt tired. The crying, the bathtub, the anger, the attempt. It was all a lot. Before Yuugi left the room, he took one glance back to see Atem stirring.

“Ai..bou…Can you s-stay with...me?” Atem murmured and reached out for his partner. Yuugi’s heart stopped, dropped, or maybe it jumped out, he couldn’t tell. Carefully, trying to catch his breath from being ever so nervous all of a sudden, Yuugi silently crawled into the bed, sliding under the sheets. Atem seemed like he was already asleep again, so Yuugi just turned the other way. Just in case. He would die of embarrassment if his other self noticed how much he was blushing and his heart was racing.

Atem shifted. Yuugi was startled. He forced his eyes shut and tensed up, trying to endure all the mixed feelings that stormed inside of his brain. Atem shifted again. Yuugi froze. He felt Atem slowly move closer to his back, eventually making contact. His left arm was Ra knows where but his right arm curled around Yuugi’s side. 

Shivering and starting to sweat, Yuugi took the hand Atem basically presented in front of him and locked it between both of his hands, holding on dearly. Atem let out a content sigh that hit Yuugi’s neck. At the sensation, a big shudder traced down Yuugi’s back, making a circle between his legs before tingling down to his toes. 

Before Yuugi knew, he felt safe and protected and the last thing he would ever dream of was ending his life. Dazed by all the events that happened and cautiously listening to Atem soundly asleep, Yuugi fell into what felt like the best sleep he had in his entire life.

* * *

**Stuttering**

Seto Kaiba checked his smartwatch. It was almost past midnight. He sat in the car for hours, waiting for Mokuba to either call him, text him or just simply come out of the building in front of him. People that scouted his car were suspicious. This district was nowhere close to the Kaiba standard, and he was very out of place. There was only one window lit now, and Kaiba assumed it must be Jonouchi’s. After hours of waiting and questioning his sanity a couple of times because what he did was unnecessary and obsessive (yet he would never dare to admit that), he stepped out of the car and walked towards the apartment with hasty steps. One last time he tried to call Mokuba, who yet again did not pick up. It was never easy for him to accept anyone choosing anything over the great Seto Kaiba. Naturally, his anger and despise of Jonouchi built up with every step closer to the door. 

It would have been typical of him to just kick in the door, but he also was a man with some standards. Why should he risk scuffing his expensive shoes on such a fragile and ugly door? Instead, he aggressively rang the doorbell. A lot. It took some time, or maybe it didn’t, but eventually the door in front of him unlocked with a loud click.

In the apartment was Jonouchi and Mokuba, steadying themselves for Kaiba’s arrival. It was only a matter of time, and Mokuba warned Jonouchi of this earlier in the evening. In fact, he knew this was going to happen the second the GPS-tracker was activated on his phone. Seto Kaiba thought of himself as a genius, but he forgot that Mokuba was no stupid boy either. He programmed an app that would tell him, online or offline, if anyone accessed the trackers on his mobile devices. 

They had been waiting for hours now, tense and somewhat expecting Seto to obliterate the doorbell. It didn’t happen until now. Although they had a lot of time to wait and maybe talk to each other about how Seto would react, instead they played video games, laughed, and chatted about anything and everything.

Utterly unprepared, Kaiba had rushed up the stairs, looking for Jonouchi’s apartment number. Once he found it, he was surprised to find the door unlocked. It smelled like popcorn inside. Without hesitation Seto Kaiba entered the apartment, only to grunt in disgust about its poor condition. Still, it had charm. At least that’s probably what Mokuba thought. He scanned the big studio room and eyed Jonouchi and Mokuba sitting on the couch, around them soda, popcorn, a lot of video game cartridges and a rolled out futon. 

Scanning the scene, Seto saw his brother just sitting there, looking at him, no detectable expression on his face, wearing Jonouchi’s clothing. Then he looked at Jonouchi, who seemed to look almost like a proper adult. Kaiba tried to shake away the unsettling emotions and tried to not stare at Jonouchi. Looking at his brother again, he didn’t know where to start, but he felt anger bubbling up the more he thought about the situation.

“Mokuba, come home right now.” Kaiba gritted his teeth and his nostrils flared. His voice was driven by anger, and the words came sharp at Mokuba like papercuts. Jonouchi raised an eyebrow as answer and turned his head to Mokuba, waiting for an answer.

“No. You can leave now.”

Seto had to take a step back. He was taken aback by how sharp and cold Mokuba’s voice sounded. Was that even his brother anymore? Mokuba’s flat response made his anger escalate, so Kaiba grabbed the closest thing and threw it at the ground. It was a picture frame, and now the floor was covered in shards of glass. Mokuba didn’t flinch, but Jonouchi jumped up, face getting red with annoyance.

“Ey, Kaiba, you can’t just waltz in here after midnight and break my stuff!” he exclaimed, clenching his fists. Mokuba sighed in frustration. Both Jonouchi and Seto looked at him in surprise. Mokuba got up, and slowly walked over to his older brother, who was by far still much taller than him. That didn’t make Mokuba less intimidating than his brother. Stopping in front of Seto, carefully avoiding the shards on the floor, he glared at him.

“I want you to leave now, Seto. I told you I have had it with your obsessions. I’m not a baby anymore. You treat me like I have to be protected, and then, out of obsession with the Pharaoh, you abandon me and even make me temporary CEO of your company. You did not explain me what the fuck I was supposed to be doing.”

“Language, kiddo.” Jonouchi scolded from the couch.

Mokuba just stood there, ever so slightly out of breath, and just stared at his older brother. Seto went quiet. His head started spinning. No amount of pushing thoughts and feelings away prepared him for his brother's outlash, which perfectly mimicked Seto’s own way of speech. All the pent up anger, the boiling feeling under his skin were slapped away at his brother’s stern and emotionless announcement.

“But… M...” Kaiba stuttered. Kaiba stuttered? Mokuba frowned in confusion, he did not expect his brother to react so vividly to that. Beat fire with fire was his approach, and it must have hit hard. Seto still struggled to find the right words. 

“That was not a question, Mokuba. You are supposed to listen to your older brother. Now pack your things and come, there’s work to do tomorrow.” Even though Kaiba put on a stern face, his voice betrayed him. It almost cracked at least twice in one sentence. 

“No. Leave. Now.” Each word emphasized to the pinnacle of pointedness. 

Seto’s head started fogging up. He was tired, exhausted. Was he really obsessed with Atem? Did he abandon his own brother whomst he swore to never do so? Seto just stood there, a miserable expression on his face, deep furrows visible on his forehead. Repressed conflicts just clashed together in his head. He let his head fall forward and recognized the picture on the floor. It was a picture taken at Kaibaland. All of them were on it. Yuugi, Jonouchi, Anzu, Honda, Otogi, Mokuba... And himself, in the background, clearly showing his disapproval. Looking up again, Seto looked at Jonouchi, who sat on the couch now again and didn’t interfere with the two brothers arguing. His hair was a wild mess. Kind of handsome, maybe?

Seto Kaiba looked up again, locking with his brother’s eyes.

“This is not over yet.” was the only thing he could counter. Ready to turn on his heel and leave this atrocious place, Kaiba couldn’t bring himself to let the picture rest on the floor. He bent over and put it back on the little dresser at the entrance. The glass still was shattered on the floor, but the picture was still in good condition.

“I will pay for this. I apologize for breaking your property.” That said, Kaiba left the apartment, no other word left his mouth. He closed the door behind him, softly. He walked to his car and entered it. Brainlessly, he drove home. After changing into his sweatpants and a shirt, Seto took a sleeping pill and crashed onto the bed, not able to process thoughts anymore.

In the meantime, Mokuba and Jonouchi cleaned up the mess Seto left. 

“Do you need to talk about it, kiddo?” Jonouchi asked cautiously. Mokuba shook his head and said that he just wanted to sleep. Jonouchi understood fully and didn’t pry more on the matter. He fell asleep rather quickly and was an awful snorer, but even though Mokuba didn’t manage to catch sleep that easily, he enjoyed Jou’s company and snores nonetheless.

**  
**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm deceased y'all <3\. You are the bestest people for sticking around <3.
> 
> Lots of love and thanks so much for reading!
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	21. XXI: Uneasy Recognition & Stiff Encounters

**Uneasy Recognition** ****

When Marik blinked and opened his eyes, he almost banged his head on the window from his reactive movement. He noticed that his head was resting on Rishid’s shoulder and he was not comfortable with that. Was his brother angry now? A set of blank expressionless eyes looked at him.

“We have to get out soon, we already landed.” Marik nodded at his brother’s statement and got ready to leave the plane. 

They went through the process of identity check and baggage claim. The stretch Marik took after they finally got out of the airport in Tokyo sounded like he had rearranged his whole skeletal structure. Rishid almost flinched next to him at the sound. It was early in the morning, but Marik was rather awake since he slept through 80% of the flight. Rishid looked mildly tired, or annoyed, but really what was the difference anyway? Before boarding the plane in Egypt, they made sure to get train tickets for the Shinkansen to Domino City, and fortunately, there was no delay anywhere so they had another two hours to roam around the airport until the train departed.

“Hey, Rishid.” Marik tried to sound casual, but he was tense and nervous speaking about regular stuff with his brother. “Want to get something to eat? I’m starving!”

He saw Rishid’s eyes twitch in confusion and Marik feared he went too far. Then, his usually very stern and expressionless brother popped a slight smile and nodded. Marik mirrored the smile Rishid offered him. They both scanned their surroundings looking for food. Marik almost squealed in excitement when he saw a pastry shop down the hall. He was an absolute sucker for Dorayaki, and he was sure Rishid would love it as well. Without another thought, Marik blatantly pointed towards the bakery and started almost jogging towards it, dragging his suitcase behind. His brother huffed and rolled his eyes in fake annoyance, quickly catching up.

They both got a Karepan and a Dorayaki, and Rishid was astonished by how amazingly delicious both of these goods were.

“Do you like it? I thought you would! I barely ever see you eat. We really need to do more things together, Rishid!” Marik’s eyes widened at his own statement and he covered his mouth in shock. He was sure he had just crossed the line. Rishid would refuse politely, but firmly, and never talk to him again. Almost cowering in shame, Marik searched for something in Rishid’s eyes, only to quickly avert his gaze at seeing his brother’s blank expression. He fucked up.

“We should really do that.”

That was all Rishid said and Marik wanted to cry. It made him feel like he had bonded with his brother a bit more again, but the joy was only shortly maintained. A bunch of younger women approached them, eyeing Marik with a timid curiosity.

“Aren’t you the guy from the Battle City tournament who was rumored to have tried killing everyone in it?” Maybe the girls weren’t so timid after all. They all looked rather young and wore different shades of pastel dresses. Marik shook his head and squinted in disbelief. Kaiba really tried his best to remove all the recordings, but they were still on the internet. Frankly, Marik was almost offended for being called out looking like Yami Marik. They did NOT look alike. He could still remember the faces Yami Marik could pull and the general distortion on his figure.

“You must be mis- “

“No way! He really is! Oh my god, do we like… call the police? Or do we ask to take a picture?” They all pulled out their cell phones and started fumbling with them. Marik felt uncomfortable and embarrassed. He didn’t want to be associated anymore with his old self. He had changed for good. The first person held up their camera at him and in pure shock he dropped his freshly unwrapped Dorayaki. Cursing aloud in arabic, the group of teens in front of him hushed back for a second, mostly in fear. Marik wondered if he should use fear to drive them away, but he quickly discarded the idea. It was not who he was anymore.

Before he could take more time to think about his options, Rishid took a step forward and placed himself in front of Marik, shielding his view from the girls. Startled, they tried to get around Rishid to take pictures and to mock Marik further, but Rishid remained stern and didn’t move or flinch at any of them.

“Leave my brother be. What happened at the Battle City tournament has nothing to do with him now. Go or I’ll call the authorities upon you for harassing us!” Rishid’s voice was venomous, the loudly spoken words startling the intruders briefly. Once the shock passed, they scrunched up their faces and left, insulting Rishid and Marik on the way towards the exit. Marik just stood there, looking miserable as he stared at the dropped Dorayaki.

“Are you alright, Marik?” Rishid asked out of habit, because a scene like that would probably have called forward Yami Marik if he was still here. 

“I’m... Okay, I guess.” Marik tried to smile. For a second, he wished Yami Marik would just come forth to take care of the situation. He kept staring at his fallen Dorayaki and barely noticed Rishid mumbling something and heading off. With a light grunt, Marik grabbed the Dorayaki from the ground. Staring at it wouldn’t change the situation, so he might as well clean up before some clean freak came and judged him. He didn’t really pay attention to where Rishid had gone, assuming he went to the bathroom or something. After looking for the closest bin and throwing the Dorayaki away with a heavy heart, he looked out for his brother, who was nowhere to be found. A wave of uneasiness hit him, and soon, he heard a voice behind him.

“I’m here.” Marik turned around and looked up to Rishid. “I got you another one of those... What do you call them? Dorayaki?” 

The taller brother held out a tiny paper bag. Inside were not one, but two Dorayaki. Marik genuinely smiled at Rishid’s nice gesture and wasn’t really sure what to answer without being too overwhelmed. He took the bag and fished out the Dorayaki and bit into it. It was divine.

After trying to enjoy their food as much as possible, they headed towards the tracks for the Shinkansen to Domino City. If everything went according to plan, they should arrive sometime in the early afternoon. Luckily, the Shinkansen was already there, and they could get inside and store their luggage easily before heading to their places. The siblings sat in silence for a minute, until Marik dared to speak up.

“Hey, Rishid. Thanks. You know, for protecting me and for... Getting me Dorayaki. I really appreciate that.” He wasn’t able to look his brother in the eye, afraid of his reaction. Almost jumping in his seat, he felt Rishid squeeze his shoulder lightly.

“You’re my brother, and I want to protect you. You’ve changed, Marik. There is no reason to associate your current self with the old one.” Rishid’s voice was slightly off rhythm, he must have been as nervous as Marik. They sat there again, in silence, until it was Rishid who spoke up, right before the train departed.

“Marik. Did you call Ishizu?”

“Shit.”

* * *

**Stiff Encounters**

When Atem opened his eyes, he felt discomfort. Not because he was in an uncomfortable position or because he felt groggy. It was purely because he had a whole bunch of colorful hair in his face. He shook his head because the strands of hair tickled his face, all the while trying to blow them away. His left side felt a bit sore, especially his left arm, since he must have slept without moving once in the night. In front of him, someone stirred and dragged at the sheets, and Atem gasped. This was not Khemet. This was not his bed. He let go of the person he was holding in front of him and quickly sat up, the edges of his vision going blurry for a second. The person next to him also moved and sat up next to him, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

“Mou Hitori no... Mou… Ah.” Yuugi stuttered and looked at Atem. Atem stared back, both completely in disbelief. They both just sat there and looked at each other for a couple of seconds.

“Aibo- Ah!” Atem yelped when Yuugi crashed into him, making him fall back and almost hit his head on the headboard.

“You’re real! You’re here! Oh my god, I can’t believe it! Atem!” Yuugi bubbled in joy, tightening his embrace. His words were less coherent than his hands that wrapped around Atem. The breath was knocked out of Atem’s lungs by the sheer force of Yuugi pouncing on him, but he quickly relaxed. He smiled as he caught his breath and inhaled Yuugi’s scent. He wrapped his hands around Yuugi’s waist and pulled him close, making Yuugi inhale sharply. Their bodies were never physically that close, and being merged was definitely not the same feeling. This felt intimate. Like something friends shouldn’t do, but neither of them cared. Their upper bodies connected and exchanged body heat, and Yuugi almost fell into a slumber again until Atem caught his attention.

“So you want to know how I ended up here?” he asked, his voice still a bit sleepy and oh  _ boy _ did it sound good when it was sleepy. The even deeper hum to his natural voice gave Yuugi chills and he had to focus very hard to not actually get aroused by it.

“Ah, yes... Please.” Yuugi answered in the speed of a sloth and earned a deep and sexy chuckle from his other self.

“You will not believe this...” Atem started and then proceeded to narrate everything that happened. From Kaiba arriving in the afterlife like a show off, him losing the duel (which made Yuugi laugh out loud) to Osiris threatening everyone and finally he arrived at the part with Nut and Geb.

“...So Nut asked me why I looked at her like that, and I told her that she reminded me about something you once told me. Her legs really looked like the milky way you once showed me!” Saying that, Atem held Yuugi a bit tighter and Yuugi shifted in his arms, trying to not blush too much upon realizing what situation was going on right now. After the story of how Atem came back was done, they started chatting about small talk stuff, meticulously avoiding any critical topics. 

Between exchanging stuff about how things have changed around Domino in only a couple of months, Atem suddenly froze. It was like the situation clicked in his head, and his arms around Yuugi got stiff and uncomfortable. Yuugi squirmed out of the cuddling position they had been in for a while now and furiously blushed when he noticed that Atem probably must have felt his boner against his leg. He hadn’t even realized how hard he had become just listening to Atem.

They couldn’t really address any of the awkwardness since Yuugi’s phone began ringing in the bathroom. His heart sank. He almost abandoned the thought of his grandfather maybe being gone forever. He started shaking violently and tried to get up, his knees giving out immediately. Atem jumped up on the other side of the bed and rushed over to Yuugi, kneeling down to face him.

“Aibou, I’m here with you. Whatever is throwing you off, it’s going to be alright. We can make it through together. Also, isn’t that your favourite song? Why on Ra’s wings is it so loud?” 

Yuugi couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at Atem’s comment. With his help he managed to get up and hurried to the bathroom, a weird strength flushing through him. In the bathroom he saw the little droplets of blood on the floor, decided to ignore them for now and answered his phone, which really rang way too loud.

“Mu..tou?” his voice immediately started shaking and his breathing paced up. He didn’t recognize the number, so it probably had to be the hospital. Flinching only lightly, he felt Atem’s hands on his shoulder, squeezing them lightly as comfort.

“Good morning, Mister Mutou! This is Tokirawa, the head nurse of the neurological ward in Domino Hospital!” Yuugi’s heart stopped for a second. Her tone of voice made him hope that everything was alright, as she had chimed with almost as much enthusiasm as she did the first time. He couldn’t quite remember everything of that though, since he was highly delirious And frankly, he wasn’t sure if he still was. He still felt like he was disconnected from his body, but Atem’s presence comforted at least a part of his uneasiness. Yuugi nodded and answered back as cheerfully as he could. The matter was not cheerful, but he felt stronger than he had in months.

“Good morning, Tokirawa-san! Do you have -” his voice faded back to frailty. “any news about my grandfather?”.

Atem opened his mouth, wanting to ask something, but quickly shut it again once he saw the pained expression on his Aibou’s face. What happened to his grandfather? Not prying on the subject, Atem just dropped the thought for now.

“Yes, I do actually! We would like to tell you personally, if that is possible? Can you maybe stop by around noon?” Yuugi gave a humming noise of approval and the nurse hung up after thanking him. He checked the time. It was 9:45 in the morning. Over the night, he had missed calls from his mother, his father, Anzu and from Marik. He didn’t want to answer any of them, he just wanted to catch up with Atem, his other self. Still hesitant about the actual legitimacy of Atem actually standing there, he turned around and stared at Atem.

“Can I do anything for you, Aibou?” Atem asked, a puzzled expression on his face. He seemed... reserved? Like he was holding back something. Yuugi wanted to ask what it was, but he felt shy, oddly anxious about Atem leaving him again or hurting him.

“Do you remember how to make tea? You could try that while I just hop in for a quick shower and get ready? We could... you know... grab breakfast before going to the hospital?” Yuugi suggested maybe he could take away Atem’s tension that way. Atem just nodded in response, still not at ease, and started heading towards the kitchen. 

**  
**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and still kicking ^-^.
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	22. XXII: Pancakes & Terry Cloth

**Pancakes**

Mokuba ripped his eyes open and blinked a couple of times before inhaling deeply. The juice of gods, he thought and instinctively wanted to sigh. Then he remembered why he ripped his eyes open and saw a rather stressed out Jonouchi standing in the kitchen, fiddling loudly with stuff. Mokuba couldn’t tell if all the banging was actually him doing something or if he just was breaking everything in sight. Sitting up, Mokuba pushed his shoulders back and down, earning a satisfying crack that sent a shiver down his spine. Jonouchi turned around, slight disgust on his face due to the nasty cracking sound.

“Yo,” his voice still sounded slightly sleepy “that was a sick noise man. Are you alright?” Mokuba started laughing at Jonouchi’s horrified facial expression and got up.

“I’m fine.” he still laughed “I’m pretty sure it’s just because I sit on the desk all day long.” Jonouchi only snorted and mumbled something about sports, turning around to the sizzling sound coming out of the pan.

“Oh, by the way kiddo, someone stopped by here and brought you a spare set of clothing! What was his name again? Robert? Ronald?”

“Roland!” Mokuba exclaimed with joy and looked around, searching the room.

Jonouchi turned around again and nodded his head towards the couch, where a small bag was placed with some casual clothing inside. Mokuba grabbed it, nodded at Jonouchi who already was focused on the pan again, and headed to the bathroom to shower. During his shower he was pretty sure he heard some cussing coming from the kitchen and chuckled. Then, Mokuba’s mood turned slightly. He tried to remember when Seto did something like that for him. He was shocked that it must have been years ago. Seto wasn’t bad at cooking, he just never had the time or patience for it. Mokuba shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts away. Jonouchi was putting so much effort into making him feel comfortable, he almost saw him like another older brother. He probably would complement Seto’s character fairly well.

“They would balance each other out.” he grumbled to himself, only to cringe at his own thoughts a second later. But they really would?

Done with his shower, Mokuba dressed himself in the clothes that Roland brought him. A blue-white striped sweater and some dark blue jeans. He even put a pair of his favourite sneakers in the bag.

Ready to face the day, Mokuba came out of the bathroom to find Jonouchi sitting on the couch, two plates resting on the little table in front of him and two cups of coffee. He smiled proudly at his work and Mokuba mirrored his smile while taking a seat on the couch.

“That looks amazing, dude! You didn’t have to do all that.” Mokuba genuinely felt ashamed for being so pampered by Jonouchi and took a sip of his coffee. No sugar, no milk. It was perfect. 

“It’s no problem, kiddo! Hey, can you pass the maple juice?”

Mokuba snorted and passed the syrup. Then they both dug into Jonouchi’s food creation. He attempted to make pancakes, and while the shape might not resemble anything round, the taste did very much scream proper pancakes. Jonouchi and Mokuba had one thing in common, and that was being able to eat a ton of food in a record amount of time. Only a couple of minutes later, both were full and well nourished, little specks of maple syrup around their mouths.

While they ate, the matters of last night were mercifully avoided, and Mokuba just felt like a regular teen. They talked about last night’s gaming session and Mokuba complimented Jonouchi’s cooking skills. Their easy conversation broke quickly as both of them flinched when Jonouchi’s phone started ringing. Fear crept up Mokuba’s back and made his arms tingle. He was scared of it being Seto, but Jonouchi’s reaction made the anxiety ebb very quickly.

“Yo, Honda, what’s up? Why the hell are you calling, it’s super early!” Jonouchi jokingly yelled into the cell phone while making theatrical expressions with his face and hands, causing Mokuba to start giggling.

“Bro, it’s like 11:30am.” Honda answered, probably equally dramatic, causing Jonouchi to huff in very emphasized annoyance. They both almost burst out in laughter after, and Mokuba joined the laughing, shaking his head and rolling his eyes lightly.

“On a serious note though. I was just texting Anzu about all the Yuugi and Atem stuff, and she hasn’t replied yet. Oh also, I wanted to get those delicious pork gyoza from Domino Station to start the day and guess who I ran into?” Honda sounded serious, but equally cheerful and with a static noise, the phone was moved to someone else.

“H… hey Jonouchi!” a voice shyly said after clearing its throat. Jonouchi just sat on the phone, blank expression, his mind desperately trying to understand who he just heard.

“Marik, fuck, is that you? Pardon my french.” Jonouchi asked carefully. No answer was given, but Jonouchi heard that the phone must have been ripped out of Marik’s hand.

“Yeah dude, that was Marik! I met him and Rishid just getting out of the Shinkansen! We grabbed food together and I talked them through everything! Even about Atem’s return. We are heading to the hospital now since Yuugi and Atem are not at the Game Shop. Are you guys joining?” Honda sounded agitated and in motion, they must have been walking the whole time. Jonouchi heard Marik and Rishid’s voice in the background, discussing things half japanese half arabic.

“Sure man, we’re on our way! See you in a bit!” After filling in Mokuba, Jonouchi threw the dishes into the sink and they headed out towards the hospital.

* * *

**Terry Cloth**

Atem knew how to make tea, right? He looked at the machinery that was presented in front of him. “That wasn’t here before.” he mumbled and suddenly felt rather stressed out by the fact that he, in fact, did not know a single fact about making tea with this thing. His head was rather busy with other thoughts anyway. He thought about the phone call. News about Yuugi’s grandfather, hm? Maybe that was what pushed him over the edge. With a frustrated sigh, Atem wished he could have been there to support his Aibou. His sacrifices, offerings and prayers had not been heard nor accepted by Osiris and other gods. It was a rather annoying thought that it really took Seto Kaiba waltzing into the afterlife for him to be able to come back. Atem also asked himself where Yuugi’s mum was, he saw the missed calls on the phone. Speaking of phones, he still owned Honda’s flip phone and had to give that back. 

Sliding into Yuugi’s room all the while holding his breath next to the bathroom door to reassure himself that Yuugi was not doing something stupid again, he aimed for Honda’s spare phone. Great, the battery was empty. He connected it with the charger and asked himself as to why Kaiba had not invented an eternal battery yet? Atem rolled his eyes and sat on the edge of the bed, memories of the past night flooding through him. In addition to the rather horrible things he witnessed yesterday - from berserk Osiris to Yuugi appearing dead in the bathtub - his stomach started feeling weird when he thought about being so physically close to his Aibou. He could nuzzle his face into Yuugi’s hair or hold him and feel his body warmth, and it felt so good. It may have been the best thing he had ever felt. What did it mean though? Atem heard a noise and looked up to see Yuugi, still damp and only covered by a towel wrapped around his hips. 

“Aibou?!” he gasped in shock and Yuugi, who was not aware of Atem being in the room, jumped back in surprise. What Yuugi did not calculate was that his jump jostled the towel loose and it dropped on the floor with a satisfying slump. 

Atem’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and his mouth dropped open, staring at his partner standing naked in front of him. Yuugi, on the other hand, completely froze and didn’t move whatsoever, a deep tint of red spreading across his face. He stared back at Atem, utterly incapable of controlling his body, but he could swear that he just saw Atem’s eye color lighten up a couple of shades.

Finally gaining control of his body again, Yuugi quickly grabbed the towel and wrapped it around his hips while Atem turned his head to the side, blushing furiously at his own staring. He felt his stomach flutter, and maybe more. Yuugi had taken quite a shape in those past months, he thought to himself.

“I... I’m sorry.” Atem stuttered, getting up suddenly. He rushed out of the room, gaze firmly on the ground, and Yuugi heard the bathroom door being slammed close. Shortly after, the shower was running.

Yuugi couldn’t handle the amount of embarrassment he felt inside. They might have shared a body, but it was safe to assume that his other self was never around when it came to things as personal as nudity.

“Oh god, he just really saw me completely naked now...” Yuugi mumbled, self-conscious about his figure. Trying to keep the blushing to a bare minimum Yuugi got dressed in black jeans and a dark purple long sleeve turtleneck shirt. He pulled out some pants that might fit Atem (they may still be rather tight on Atem’s legs) as well as a pretty standard black hoodie. 

Putting the clothing on the bed for Atem, he took his phone and went to the kitchen. Yuugi had to hold back laughing. Of course Atem didn’t know how to make tea with that new water boiler. It was rather late to make tea now anyway so Yuugi decided to look if he had shoes that he might lend to Atem. Now that they had their own bodies, the differences in their shape were obviously more notable. Atem was not that much taller than Yuugi, but he appeared to be more defined. Yuugi heard the bathroom door.

“Hey, Atem. I... ehm... put some clothing out for you on the bed!” Yuugi shouted down the hallway. He did not turn his head, afraid that Atem might be naked as well, although he found himself curious.

A confirmative noise sounded from the hallway, and shortly after Atem entered the kitchen. Yuugi turned around, looking at his other self. The hoodie fit, it was not too loose and the pants were also alright.

“Thank you very much for your clothing, Aibou.” Atem said stiffly, obviously feeling awkward about the whole situation. Yuugi nodded, smiling. They decided to find some shoes that Atem fit, and both kept flinching whenever their shoulders or hands touched as they rummaged through the closet. 

Finding a fitting pair of black leather boots for Atem, Yuugi and his other self were ready to go. They exited the Game Shop after Yuugi put a sign up that they were temporarily closed. Yuugi checked his phone, it was already late so their breakfast probably had to be quick.

“I know I said proper breakfast, but we’re quite late, are you alright with like a convenience store Onigiri or something?” Atem wasn’t sure he remembered what Onigiri was but nodded nevertheless. Walking to the closest grocery store, they grabbed some food and sat on a bench next to the store, unwrapping their Onigiri. Well, at least Yuugi did, Atem was dumbstruck and broke his seaweed sheet trying to follow the instructions, earning laughter from Yuugi’s side. His laugh was bright and positively ringing in Atem’s ears. They ate in silence, not speaking much.

“That was amazing, Aibou! Thank you so much.” Atem sighed after finishing, absolutely able to eat at least another five of those delicious rice things. Yuugi giggled and finished his Onigiri as well. They started heading towards the hospital.

“So, Aibou… why are we going to the hospital? I don’t mean to push but...” Atem was sure he hit a nerve when Yuugi stopped mid stride and looked down onto the pavement instead of giving an answer. Then he started talking, sharing everything that happened.

“They called me in the middle of the night saying he fell and that everything was alright...” Yuugi proceeded to talk about the rest of the night, being brutally honest, sometimes stopping mid sentence to force down tears. 

“You looked so bad and you said that it was my fault...” Atem listened to Yuugi and he felt his heart scream in pain at all the bad things that Yuugi had to endure. Sure, his stay in the afterlife wasn’t a pleasure for him personally, but he was busy being a Pharaoh and getting used to another life. Yuugi’s last sentence knocked the breath out of Atem’s lungs in an uneasy way. “So I decided that I couldn’t live without you and without my grandfather and decided that it was the best to just...” 

Before Yuugi ended his sentence, Atem grabbed him by the wrist and pulled Yuugi into a tight embrace. Yuugi felt his head bump against Atem’s shoulder and he felt his other self’s hands tightly around his shoulders and back. It was a desperate hug, a hug long overdue. 

“I’m so sorry for everything that happened to you, Aibou. I’m here now, I will do anything to protect you and support you.” Even though they were mumbled into his neck, he understood every word crystal clear. Wrapping his hands around Atem’s lower back, Yuugi returned the embrace and their bodies were fully pressed against each other. Tears of pain and tears of joy burnt below Yuugi’s eyelids, but he didn’t want to cry again. 

A few minutes later, Atem and Yuugi broke their hug, or at least, the tightness. Arms still wrapped around each other, they now had enough space between to look at each other, though their faces were rather close. Yuugi could feel Atem’s breath on his face and tried to not shudder in pleasure.

“You’re cute, Atem.”

“What?”

Oh hell, Yuugi thought. That wasn’t supposed to slip out. He broke the hug a bit too hastily and turned away, blushing.

“We… we have to go.” Yuugi announced and started walking away, or rather, stomping away. Atem stood there for a couple of seconds, still trying to make sense of what Yuugi had just said, before moving to catch up. When they arrived at the hospital, they did not expect to see a rather large group of people waiting for them.

**  
**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhh we're getting somewhere and we're getting close to the end °-°
> 
> Thanks for reading ^3^
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	23. XXIII: Waking Up & Mixed Approaches

**Waking Up**

For the first time in ages, Kaiba didn’t want to get up when his alarm rang at 6 am. His body felt drained, more tired than usual. He grunted, sitting up and slamming the snooze button for the first time in his entire life. Coffee wasn’t gonna fix the fatigue that settled in his bones. The afterlife must have severely changed his bodily perception. Remembering the conversation with Mokuba yesterday, Kaiba was not able to fall asleep again and sat up, rubbing his eyes in annoyance and straightening his back. He proceeded to rub his hands along his face, dragging them down his cheeks before finally getting up groggily. Leaving his phone in his room, he decided to take the day a bit slower than usual and headed towards the kitchen to get a coffee. One cup would hopefully start to fight the fatigue, he thought.

Sitting on the kitchen counter, smelling freshly brewed coffee, Seto Kaiba felt weird thoughts and feelings making their way up to his head. Almost letting them reach his brain and reflecting upon all his twisted feelings, he lifted his head up in shock when he heard his alarm ring again. 

“Right, the snooze button. What a terrible invention. Luckily not mine.” he grumbled and stumbled towards his room to find his phone almost dropping off the nightstand from vibrating so hard.

Kaiba texted Roland to bring Mokuba some spare clothing and his favourite sneakers. Sinking back into the stool at the kitchen counter, still in his pyjamas, Kaiba finally let himself think. He thought about a lot of things. About the trip to the afterlife, his previous ‘obsession’ with the Pharaoh, how he treated Mokuba, Jonouchi’s hazel eyes. What? He shook that thought away rather quickly and went back to the conversation he had with Mokuba, or rather, the fight they had.

He had no other option than to admit himself that he was acting like a jerk. He had been ignoring Mokuba for months, and used him as a tool to achieve his goals. Kaiba sighed.

“I should probably apologize to Mokuba...” he grumbled, his eyes feeling heavy again. The coffee machine beeped and he got himself his first cup of the day, no sugar with a hint of almond milk when no one was watching. Seto Kaiba kept thinking about why he was so obsessed with the Pha- with Atem. His hyperfixation was not based on feelings he had for him, rather on the fact that Kaiba never could stand not having the last word on a matter. Atem never gave him a chance for having the last word or the last duel, so the only logical solution was to use his power, influence and genius to travel into the afterlife. Atem was back now and Kaiba didn’t feel the dire need to crush his soul anymore, even though he had said that yesterday. In fact, he felt the slightest form of pity for Atem and especially Yuugi. Yuugi had been a mess for months now. He should probably also apologize to Yuugi, but he wasn’t sure if he ever could bring those words out of his mouth on any occasion.

Nevertheless, Kaiba’s new hyperfixation was Osiris now. He wanted to find a way to travel to the afterlife again, maybe to the part where Osiris remained just to tear him apart. 

Not today though.

Kaiba took out his phone and texted Roland again, asking him to cancel all of his appointments today. He desperately needed a day off, even if it was strictly against his workaholic tendencies. A couple of minutes later, Roland’s text message popped up ‘done.’

Checking his work-related email account anyway, Kaiba saw that there was a money transaction to Domino Hospital. Kaiba frowned in confusion. Why on earth was this charge on his account? He vaguely remembered hearing about Yuugi’s grandfather being in the hospital. Mokuba must have done this for Yuugi... 

“Guess there’s only one way to find out.” was the only thing he added to his thoughts and decided to get ready, heading to one of his bathrooms. After taking care of all necessities and getting dressed rather casually, which included a soft black turtleneck sweater and some even blacker jeans, Seto dialed Roland’s number, despite it being rather early.

“Kaiba sir, what can I do for you?” Roland asked, professional and monotone, but Kaiba was sure that Roland must be rather annoyed and tired.

“Pardon for calling you early, I wanted to... I...” Kaiba stuttered and he could picture Roland on the other side of the phone looking puzzled. Clearing his throat, Kaiba tried anew.

“I wanted to formally apologize for my behaviour yesterday.” Not leaving any space for Roland to reply, he quickly continued. “I will take the day off, as you know. I want you to take the day off as well. This is an order. Don’t work, don’t contact me or Mokuba until tomorrow morning unless there is an emergency, do you understand me?”

The line went silent. Roland didn’t speak for a solid 30 seconds until he finally managed to push some words out, sounding way less monotone and professional as he usually would.

“Thank you, sir. I will make sure to use the day to my advantage. If you need any-”

“No!” Kaiba interrupted harshly “I’m sorry. No. I will not need anything. Enjoy your day off. Good day, Roland.”

Seto Kaiba hung up immediately and then made his way back to the kitchen. Pouring himself a cup of coffee in a travel mug, he also grabbed a slice of toast and nibbled on it while walking to his car.

With the hot coffee in the cupholder next to him and the piece of bread in his mouth, Kaiba drove to the hospital.

* * *

**Mixed Approaches**

“Mou Hitori no Boku, am I again seeing things or...?” 

Yuugi did not know that Atem stopped a couple steps behind him to eye the situation. Yuugi also did not know that almost everyone was standing there, eyes scanning the area for someone. There were Honda, Jonouchi, Ryou, Mokuba... and Marik and Rishid ? Yeah, he must definitely be hallucinating.

“Guys, there’s Yuugi!” Mokuba yelled into Yuugi’s direction and a second later, a whole wave of friends rushed in Yuugi’s direction. Freezing on the spot, Yuugi looked to his left, looking for Atem. He wasn’t there. Yuugi felt a wave of anxiety. What if Atem was gone again? He almost immediately started hyperventilating and turned wildly in the other direction, only to find Atem standing there, raising an eyebrow at him. 

Before Yuugi could turn around again, he felt a big and strong arm around his neck while another arm aggressively rubbed the top of his hair and head. 

“Yooooo, Yuug’, how are ya?” Jonouchi asked enthusiastically, although the worry was still clear in his voice. Yuugi smiled at Atem, who smiled the most gorgeous smile back before Yuugi turned around to face Jonouchi and the rest.

“Hey everyone.” he almost stuttered, overwhelmed by all the worried eyes that were on him. “I’m fine, thanks. Sorry for making you worry.” In his head, Yuugi wished he had a mindlink with Atem to make sure he wouldn’t say anything about what happened yesterday.

“I’m so glad that you are well, Yuugi!” Marik came up to Yuugi and hugged him tightly for a couple of seconds before letting go. He then noticed the Pharaoh, who was standing behind Yuugi, contently smiling in silence. Marik and Rishid both approached him rather quickly, leading to the others turning towards Atem and staring. 

“Oh no..” Atem mumbled to himself, blushing ever so slightly while exactly knowing what would happen now. He instinctively took a step back, not quite ready for being a Pharaoh again after being a huge mess of emotions just a day before, but it could not be avoided. Rishid and Marik both dropped down to their knees, heads bowed, reciting a praising prayer in an ancient Egyptian language. This was not supposed to be awkward, yet it was. He cleared his throat while turning his head to the side quickly and then turned back around to Marik and Rishid who still did not show any signs of letting up. He wanted to speak to his friends, to tell them that they don’t owe him anything and they are free to do whatever they please, but his other friends didn’t let that happen. Honda burst out laughing in the back when he saw Atem standing there awkwardly and also went down to his knees, giggling. Jonouchi, Ryou and Mokuba did the same, leaving only Yuugi standing. He too desperately tried to hold back his own laughter and decided to kneel in front of Atem too.

“Okay, that’s enough, all of you!” Atem snapped, making everyone flinch and look up to him. 

“You two, Marik and Rishid. For the love of Ra, please get up, you are not bound to serve me. You’re free to do as you please, you are my friends, nothing less than that. And the others...” they all almost shivered in fear when they saw Atem’s eyebrows twitch in annoyance “I understand that this might look weird in this time or culture, but you are all disrespecting your two Egyptian friends as well as a Pharaoh, mocking the gesture by dropping to your knees.”

Everyone became silent where they knelt, paling at Atem’s tone. 

Suddenly, Atem started laughing. Not very loud but audible enough. “You should see your faces.” he snorted “Guys, get up, I was joking, except for the part with Marik and Rishid!” 

Sighs of relief filled the air and everyone got up, murmuring conversations about how Atem could be frightening when he wanted to be. Atem squeezed Marik’s shoulders lightly and mumbled something about how there was no more duty and thanks in his language, causing Marik to beam at him with joy and Rishid to nod with an ever so slight smile.

Ryou explained that he wanted to check on Yuugi, but when he didn’t answer his phone, he went straight to the hospital and met Jonouchi and Mokuba on the way. Honda was thrilled to narrate his experience about randomly meeting Marik and Rishid at the train station. Everything seemed rather normal, except for an ancient Pharaoh casually joining the group, until they slowly approached the hospital entrance.

Yuugi seemed rather uncomfortable by the sheer amount of people surrounding him and asking questions about his grandfather and about how he was and everything, and Atem noticed.

“Excuse me,” Atem interjected, catching everyone's full attention with a single phrase. “I think that if we all go visit Sugoroku, it may cause him a fair amount of stress. Why don’t we meet up later?”

“You know what?” Jonouchi bubbled right after Atem ended his sentence. “Honda and I were planning on having a small party this evening, a homecoming for Atem, what do you guys say?” Atem’s eyes went wide in shock while everyone seemed rather thrilled about that idea. 

“That’s not what I-” 

“Deal!” Honda yelled, overshadowing Atem’s incoherent mumbles about a homecoming party. “Let’s take Marik and Rishid to the Hotel and then we go to my place to start organising! There will be lots of food!” Honda kept yelling even though everyone heard him fairly well without the yelling part. Atem searched for comfort and found it in Yuugi’s eyes. They still expressed slight discomfort, but the way his smile stretched to his eyes helped Atem calm down despite the unwanted attention.

Marik turned to Ryou and looked at him, scanning him up and down. 

“Ryou?” Marik started, hesitant and insecure, while Honda and Jonouchi continued to wildly talk about their plans and Yuugi and Atem kind of just stared at each other awkwardly.

Ryou turned his head a bit too quickly towards Marik and stared at him in confusion.

“Y… yes?” Ryou answered, noticing he hasn’t really seen Marik in quite a while. He always liked how Marik dressed. And maybe also how he generally looked. Marik blinked a couple of times to get back in focus and felt his mouth go dry. Did Ryou always look so handsome?

“I… This may sound stupid, but can I talk to you in private? It’s something about… a… research thing I found back in Egypt? Would you maybe come with us to the hotel?”

Marik would have loved to facepalm. He sounded like a shy teenage boy who couldn’t talk for himself.

“Yeah, sure! Let’s go!” Ryou exclaimed joyfully. Jonouchi wanted to make some weird comment, but Honda pulled him aside and announced the party for the following night.

“7 pm at Honda’s! We will have you all covered!” he said, pulling Jonouchi with him and walking off the hospital campus. Marik, Rishid and Ryou waved quickly at Yuugi, Atem and Mokuba and headed towards the next bus stop.

“So.. Shall I like.. Leave as well?” Mokuba asked, scratching the back of his head embarrassed. Yuugi looked at him rather surprised and shook his head.

“No, no! You’re welcome to join us, I need more support than just Atem!” Shoving an elbow into Atem’s side, his other self grunted in fake pain. They all giggled together and entered the hospital.

Yuugi felt anxiety bubbling up about the last visit, about his grandfather, and he instinctively grabbed Atem’s hand, making him stop and freeze in shock. Before Yuugi could withdraw the hand in embarrassment, Atem squeezed the hand in his lightly and held it there, not only to comfort him, but also because it made his heart beat faster and his stomach flutter in excitement.

Mokuba didn’t comment on it and just smiled to himself. They had to look a solid 10 minutes for the neurological ward again and were surprised to see someone very familiar sitting just outside the ward, his long legs crossed, eyes glued to his phone, obviously waiting for someone.

Atem didn’t let go of Yuugi’s hand.

**  
**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and being here <3.
> 
> Xoxo Sei<3.


	24. XXIV: Funky Feelings & Derks

**Funky Feelings**

Ryou was impressed about the hotel that Ishizu had booked for the brothers, and he was even more impressed about them having each a single room to themselves. They were brothers after all, so why not share a room? Rishid quickly excused himself for he had to take a well earned nap as he had been awake for way too long and rushed into his room, locking the door behind him. Marik and Ryou went into the hotel room directly on the opposite of Rishid’s. 

Visibly nervous, Ryou sat on the edge of the bed while Marik dragged his suitcase across the room, only to viciously flop onto the bed next to his friend. Marik yawned and stretched, his lips escaping a groaning sound that made Ryou feel funny in all possible ways. After his prolonged stretch, which caused Marik’s shirt to slip up and give Ryou quite the view, Marik sat up, trying to literally shake the fatigue out of his body.

“So, Ryou. This is awkward… Last time we were together alone we basically plotted a way to get the Millennium Puzzle.” Marik muttered, feeling ashamed of his previous actions.

“Well, it wasn’t really me. It was Yami Bakura. I can only vaguely remember what happened back then.” 

“Ah yes, you’re right. I apologize.. It’s rather different with the darkness that I felt inside, although I usually got bad headaches and blacked out as well...”

Ryou shifted on the bed, trying to not slip off the edge and failed. The beds were unnaturally high, more like in an american hotel than in the only fancy hotel that Domino City offered. Looking towards the ceiling, standing in the room instead of sitting on the bed now, Ryou closed his eyes and let out a frustrated breath that was answered by a chuckle.

“Why don’t you just sit on the bed properly, I won’t bite… yet.” Marik laughed, and Ryou did not know if he felt more comfortable or less comfortable now. Deciding it didn’t really matter, he kicked off his shoes and fully hopped on the bed, sat sitting on it cross-legged. Marik now looked at him, and Ryou felt like he was about to turn beet red as he got lost in Marik’s purple eyes. Marik’s voice just so happened to pull him out of his trail of thoughts.

“I have to talk to you about Bakura.” Marik said, blunt, without any detectable emotion in his voice and Ryou stopped moving immediately, cold sweat building on his forehead. Was Marik still malicious? Did he trap Ryou on purpose? Oh for lord, was the room locked? What if -

“Hey, are you even listening to me, Ryou?” Marik was waving a hand in front of Ryou’s face, trying to get his attention. Ryou wanted to jump up, but he was glued to the bed by a heavy sensation of anxiety. Marik trapped him, he was sure about that. An unresponsive Ryou sat on the bed, his head somewhere else until he felt two warm hands grab the sides of his upper arms and shake him. 

“Ryou, get back to your senses, I’m not here to harm you for Ra’s sake!” Marik cursed and proceeded to send some arabic curses along with that. Ryou didn’t quite believe him, but he started to come back to his most basic senses and looked at Marik, who was rather close to his face now. How easy would it be? Marik continued to talk once he noticed that Ryou was paying attention to him, his grasp not leaving Ryou’s upper arms.

“I had a dream or something like a vision on the plane. I talked to a man called Bakura. He looked similar to you but had my skin color, a red dirty robe and a scar on his face. Do you know him?” Marik kept looking at Ryou, and Ryou just stared back, his eyes even ripped more open than before.

“Yes, I do... I had a wild dream about him and... Me... not long ago.” Now it was Marik’s turn to raise his eyebrows, getting the question in the wrongest way possible. Ryou blushed furiously.

“No! Not this kind of dream! He asked me for forgiveness but then things went horribly wrong with the Ring and... you know.” Ryou’s last words were mere whispers and he looked down at his legs. He folded his hands in front of his legs and almost went into a cowering position. Marik let go of him and sighed. 

Ryou’s eyes snapped up again and he blushed again, feeling Marik take his hands in his, lightly squeezing them.

“He talked to me in my dream, saying that none of this was your fault and that in fact Osiris had his hands in all of this. He also told me that I should try to do some old ancient spiritual summoning ritual with you. I only recently read about it. I wanted to offer you doing that maybe sometime the next... Couple of days? If you w- “

“Yes, absolutely!” Ryou cut Marik off, leaving Marik startled and speechless for a second. Ryou tightened the grip around Marik’s hands and beamed at him, pleasant anticipation written across his face.

An awkward silence formed between them and Marik’s hand began sweating, as he got increasingly nervous by the mostly accidental skin contact he made with Ryou. None of them dared to say anything and they even started avoiding eye contact at some point, yet not letting go of their hands.

“Hey... Marik... Do you want to like… Go to the mall before we head to Honda’s later?” Ryou’s stutter was imminent and he slowly tried to pull his hands out of the rather slippery predicament they were in. Marik only nodded, went to his suitcase and started searching for clothing. Ryou’s heart started beating in a funny way when he saw Marik just digging through his suitcase, grabbing different pieces of clothing. 

“Must be me being nervous...” Ryou mumbled a bit too loud.

“What is causing you to be so nervous then, Ryou?” The slightest purring tease in Marik’s voice made Ryou’s body respond with a big shiver down his back. He looked around nervously, trying to find an answer to that question but he could not come up with one. Marik chuckled, a chuckle that scratched in his throat and made Ryou almost roll his eyes backwards mentally.

“I’ll be taking a shower and then we can leave, make yourself at home.” The grin on Marik’s face was more than enough to imply something. Once Marik was in the bathroom, not locking the door, Ryou flopped back onto the bed, seeing tiny silver stars circling in his vision. What was happening to him? He felt nervous and weird around Marik, yet they only really met a couple of hours ago. Ryou heard the shower running and he smirked at hearing Marik sing some song inside the shower. Something about leather? Before he knew, Ryou started feeling sleepy and started daydreaming about... things, and finally dozed off.

* * *

**Derks**

“Seto? What are you doing here?” Mokuba blurted out, highly surprised to see his workaholic brother hanging around in the hospital.

“I could ask you the same, Mokuba. And I could also ask you about the charge I got on my account this morning. Also, where did you leave the stupid puppy Jonouchi?” Seto’s way of speaking did not change much, he sounded flat and annoyed, except when he mentioned Jonouchi. Mokuba went pale and tried to instinctively hide behind Atem, who in fact, was also rather surprised to see Kaiba.

“Ahh, Mister Mutou! Please follow me.” The head nurse stuck her head out behind the ward doors and waved at Yuugi to signal him to follow her.

“Maybe you should let go of you new lover and go talk to her?” Seto Kaiba snorted and only then, with a bit too much eager force, did Yuugi rip his hand out of Atem’s, leaving Atem looking puzzled. Nodding at Mokuba and Atem, Yuugi rushed towards the head nurse, blushing on the way, avoiding eye contact with Kaiba.

“Was that necessary, Kaiba?” Atem snarled, not even trying to evade arguing. Mokuba put his hand on his forehead and sighed in frustration. Kaiba shook his head and both Mokuba and Atem weren’t sure if what Kaiba had to say was real or not.

“No, it wasn’t.”

“What?” 

“Don’t make me say this again, you dork!”

“Excuse me, I am an ancient Pharaoh, watch who you call derk. It wasn’t me who lost”

“Atem, it’s a ‘dork’.”, Mokuba giggled.

“I said that.”

“No, you didn’t.” Setos sentence was final and put the discussion to an end.

Atem pouted, but only on the inside, his face remained a rather neutral expression. Yuugi’s footsteps were heard and all of them turned toward the entrance of the ward. The head nurse stood next to him and had a rather worried look on her face.

“Ah, ehm. Atem?” The nurse tried, emphasizing the wrong syllable of Atem’s name, but he didn’t care and gave her an attentive look as well as an affirmative noise.

“Would you mind coming with us, I think your boyfriend could use some support.”

“My what?”

“Just go, dork.” Seto snorted, highly amused.

That being said, Atem followed the nurse and Yuugi, gently holding a hand on Yuugi’s back to support him.

“Mokuba, I -” Seto started, but was taken by surprise when Mokuba immediately interrupted him.

“No, Seto. I’m not having any of it. Yesterday was enough. Just leave it.” Seto was amazed and absolutely disgusted by how well Mokuba was at mimicking his own professional tone of voice. Still, he didn’t just take no for an answer and Mokuba would have to hear him out.

“Moku-”

“NO, Seto!” Mokuba snapped.

“Please, Mokuba, listen to me for once!” Seto almost yelled, but managed to keep his voice down enough to not catch any attention. Mokuba blinked a couple of times and shook his head in disbelief. Did his own brother just say  _ please _ ? Seto looked at Mokuba and tried to find an answer in his eyes, but he couldn’t so he chose to wait and not say anything until Mokuba, after contemplating for a couple seconds, finally let him speak.

“Proceed. What is it?”

Kaiba sighed, his legs uncrossed and one leg impatiently bouncing while his heel tapped on the floor. Mokuba just stood there, crossed his arms and waited. Kaiba sighed again, maybe what worked for stress could also work for something like nerves, and rubbed along his eyebrows with his index fingers, closing his eyes for a moment.

“I...”

“Yes, Seto?”

“Am sorry, Mokuba.”

“....Come again?” Mokuba stuttered. He was sure that what he just heard must be an auditory hallucination.

“Don’t make me repeat it. I did not take care of you. I don’t expect you to forgive me, just know that I know I was wrong.” Seto rushed his sentence so Mokuba barely had time to process and all he could do was swallow hard at his own brother being so self-reflective. The afterlife must have turned his brain to absolute mush. Mokuba wanted to speak up and say something, but he felt forced back into the little brother role. He did not forgive Seto at this moment, but he could see the confession as a foundation for a working brotherly relationship. 

Another thing dawned on Mokuba. The account charge.... He broke out into a sweat, his thoughts somersaulting in his head. Mokuba very desperately tried to find an excuse or an answer to the money he just used without making any of the financial assistants confirm. Seto smirked. He knew exactly what was going on in Mokuba’s head.

“Mokuba. I came here this morning to find out about why we paid so much money to the hospital.” Mokuba gulped. Seto wasn’t done.

“I talked to the nurses and I demanded all the information I could get. At least I want to know what you are using my money for.” Seto continued, his voice taunting. Mokuba wasn’t sure if he was going to have a panic attack, but he felt his heart hammer against his chest and all he wanted was to disappear. He had to say something, and he had to do it quickly before Seto could end his argument in sheer anger.

“Seto, I can ex -” 

“After coming here by myself this morning,” he interrupted Mokuba harshly, making his smaller brother step back in fear “I authorized the payment and made sure that Yuugi’s grandfather is in the best hands.”

Another shot went through Mokuba. First, Seto apologized, and then he authorized the payment. The world would probably end soon.

“Thanks, Seto, I really appreciate it!” Mokuba almost squealed with happiness. Seto finally got up and put his cell phone away, taking careful steps towards Mokuba. He ruffled through Mokuba’s hair like in good old times, earning disgruntled noises from his little brother.

“Let’s go and leave the dorks alone. Roland is off today, do you want to get some ice cream?” Seto carefully asked, trying to not step over the boundaries that his brothers clearly marked.

Mokuba let out a noise of happiness that no one really was able to define.

“Hell yeah!” he exclaimed, almost sprinting towards the exit of the hospital, making Seto blow air out of his nose while smiling.

**  
**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.
> 
> Forever grateful for the support!


	25. XXV: The Game of Names & Courageous Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update because rEaSoNs <3.
> 
> Enjoy the ride!

**The Game of Names**

“Please, take a seat Mr. Mutou and….?” The head nurse Tokirawa raised one of her very dark eyebrows while looking at Atem. He started sweating. He needed a surname, one that wouldn’t sound absolutely crazy. Trying to think as fast as he could, his head snapped towards Yuugi’s direction who decided to answer Tokirawa’s question.

“Sennen. Atem Sennen, sorry. He is still a bit under a jet lag coming all the way from Egypt.” Atem nodded like a robot, just accepting that his name was Atem Sennen now. He could get used to that, though.

“Sennen, Mr. Sennen then. I hope your journey to Japan went smooth.” the head nurse responded, clearly being used to making small talk. Atem would have loved to just tell her that he had been sent by the barely clothed Goddess of the Skies, but he probably would have ended not being able to leave the hospital if he said that. Atem chuckled, and now it was Yuugi’s turn to look at him, a confused expression spread across his face.

“It was, well, a journey.” Atem smiled politely. He too must be used to small talk with people of almost any kind as Pharaoh. Both of them took a seat across the head nurse, who was sitting at a rather chaotic desk. She looked around on the desk and sighed in frustration.

“That young nurse really only can win with her looks...” she muttered in mild annoyance as she surveyed the papers. She then looked up and smiled at the two young men. “I’m sorry for the mess.” 

Both Atem and Yuugi shook their heads to signal that it was no problem. Yuugi started fumbling nervously with the hem of his dark purple turtleneck and looked down. Naturally, Tokirawa noticed Yuugi’s discomfort and restlessness, so she decided not to make them wait any longer. Her eyes roamed around the desk, as she was clearly looking for something. She frowned in irritation and started looking through the mess of a desk in front of her. With an annoyed huff, she got up and excused herself for a minute.

“Are you alright, Aibou?” shifting his body, Atem turned towards his partner, trying to get his attention. Yuugi kept looking down, still fumbling with his shirt. A worried frown formed between Atem’s eyes, and he reached out to touch Yuugi gently on the shoulder. Yuugi tilted his head back in shock, eyes shining from holding back tears, and he just looked at Atem, trying his hardest not to break.

“What if the last time I saw my grandfather I lied to him about being alright? What if he is never going to recognize me?” Yuugi’s voice was almost like his eyes, but instead of holding back tears, he held back a mental breakdown. Atem didn’t know what to say. Once again, his usually strong voice and his empowering confidence failed him. 

“I’m sorry to have made you wait! I couldn’t find Mutou-san’s file. Turns out, the doctor still had it. He also asked me to fill you in about all the details, as he’s currently still a bit busy. Now let me tell you about your grandfather before we can visit him together, if you are alright with that, of course.” The head nurse’s smile couldn’t calm Yuugi. He looked at her, eyes wide open, with utter fear in his heart. 

When he turned around to face Atem who mirrored her smile, Yuugi felt himself calm down a bit. And why did his heart just skip a beat?

Only managing a weak nod and turning towards Tokirawa again, Yuugi felt as ready as he could be to face the harsh truth. He wasn’t feeling quite ready for Atem’s hand to land on his back and draw gentle circles on it to calm him. When did Yuugi lean forward anyway?

“Your grandfather needed an emergency scan yesterday, and everything turned out fine. He woke up not long after, still delirious I’m afraid to say, and started talking about a man with skin that looked like tree bark who talked to him.”

Atem inhaled sharply. Geb? Why would Sugoroku talk about Geb? Both the nurse and Yuugi turned around to Atem, who had quite the puzzled expression on his face. 

“Mou hitori no boku?” Yuugi carefully asked.

“I’m sorry, it’s nothing.” Atem shook his head and flailed his hands in defense. “Please continue, I apologize for the interruption.” Yuugi didn’t really believe what Atem just said but let it slip for now, still afraid of what happened to his grandfather.

The nurse nodded and just as she wanted to continue, the doctor knocked on the door and entered. The head nurse looked up immediately, expecting to have to jump up and assist at any point.

“ Mr. Mutou, Mr…?”

“Sennen” Atem said, firmly, making Yuugi almost smirk at him for already using his new last name so confidently.

“Right, Mr. Sennen, Tokirawa. I assume you started filling them in on the details? Before you proceed to tell Mr. Mutou about what happened, may I invite you all to visit Sugoroku Mutou, he’s currently awake.” Yuugi and Atem turned their heads towards the door, only to almost stare at an amazing looking younger doctor with light brown wild hair and emerald green eyes. Tokirawa smiled at him and got up. 

“If the two young men in front of me don’t have anything against it…” she directed her words at Yuugi, the chiming sound in her voice ringing against Yuugi’s eardrums. Without a word, Yuugi got up, squeezing Atem’s hand against the back of the chair as he did so, making him hiss at the pain as he pulled his hand away. 

“Ah, sorry, mou hitori no boku” with an apologetic look on his face, Yuugi quickly glanced at Atem. 

“It’s fine, aibou. Let’s go.” Atem replied, rubbing his aching hand against the side of his pants. 

They all left the nurse’s office and walked down the hall. With every step closer to Yuugi’s grandfather’s room, Yuugi felt his body twitching in anxiety and his heart started racing. He felt his mouth go dry and when he tried swallowing, it felt as if there was an impassable lump in his throat. He felt Atem’s eyes on him. His other self must know how he felt, even without a mind link. Atem could read his body better than anyone. Not too surprising, knowing he inhabited it for quite some time. Atem chuckled, and Yuugi glared up at him, not sure if he wanted to know why he had been chuckled at.

Atem’s face suddenly was rather close to Yuugi’s.

“I wonder what you were thinking of, scrunching your face like that, aibou.” he whispered in his ear. Yuugi blushed slightly, feeling caught off guard, forgetting about his anxiety for a moment.

“Here we are.” The doctor said, those words causing Yuugi’s fear to flood back in one split second. The doctor and the nurse entered the room. Holding his breath, Yuugi stepped inside. Atem followed close behind. 

Everyone except Atem approached the bed where Yuugi’s grandfather was lying, still strapped down. Sugoroku opened his eyes and gazed around in the room in a disoriented and disorganized way. Atem made sure to stop at the entrance, not to confuse the elderly man with his presence. They did share a similar hairstyle after all, Yuugi and him. His partner was next to his grandfather, words stuck in his throat. Sugoroku looked at Yuugi for quite a while and suddenly started smiling. A frail voice tried to speak up as best as it could.

“Yuugi, my beloved grandson. It’s such a pleasure to see you.” 

* * *

**Courageous Confessions**

“Rise and shine.” Marik teased, and Ryou ripped his eyes open in shock. He was lying on the edge of the bed, Marik standing on the side leaning over lightly. Did Ryou really fall asleep in Marik’s hotel bed?

“Man, Marik...” he mumbled, still sleepy and not quite in his head “I’m so sorry for falling asleep.” Marik laughed and Ryou felt his heart skip a beat when Marik suddenly crawled over Ryou, only to flop down on ‘his’ side of the bed.

“Don’t worry about it, Ryou. I’m quite tired myself. Also, you looked kinda cute while you were sleeping.” Smirking at Ryou, Marik wasn’t sure why he liked to tease Ryou so much. Maybe it was because he was really cute. Marik couldn’t explain the kind of attraction that he felt towards Ryou, but he could say he likes spending time with him. Marik yawned and Ryou joined in, failing to avoid the contagious gesture. After a while of comfortable silence, Marik grabbed his cell phone nearby. 

“Can I use your bathroom real quick?” Ryou asked, his voice quiet and shy. Marik motioned to the bathroom and nodded at Ryou, focusing again on his cell phone. While Ryou was in the bathroom, Marik texted Rishid, telling him to come to Honda’s place at 7 pm and that he was out with Ryou. 

Ryou was in the bathroom, trying to tame his hair. It always looked so wild after sleeping and it was even more embarrassing that Marik saw him that way. After a while of fumbling with his hair, he jumped at the noise of something dropping on the floor in the hotel room. After he was quite alright with his messy hair, Ryou tried to casually exit the bathroom when he saw Marik sprawled out on the bed, his phone on the floor next to him. 

Ryou couldn’t help himself and started to chuckle. Maybe, if he pulled all of his confidence together now. He leaned over Marik, almost the same as Marik did before and gulped. A lump formed in his throat, but Ryou really wanted to stop being the shy boy he was.

“You can do this, Ryou..” he mumbled to himself, possibly a bit too loud. 

“Do what?” Marik asked, groggily. Two purple eyes now stared right at him. Ryou jumped back, blushing slightly, the feeling of disappointment and failure settling in his head.

“Ah, Nothing...” he murmured, and then spoke up, trying to sound more confident than he did a few seconds ago “Let’s head to the mall? There is this great place next to the café Otogi’s dad owns, and they have the best and most exotic Dorayaki!”

Marik jumped up at almost the speed of light.

“You had me at Dorayaki!” he exclaimed, a big smile forming across his face. They gathered their things and made their way to the mall together, aiming straight for Otogi’s café and the Dorayaki place.

Honda and Jonouchi were visibly out of breath once they arrived at Honda’s place, each carrying four bags of groceries. Two of the bags were filled with beer and stronger alcohol. In the other bags were snacks, fruit juices, other drinks, ingredients for boxed Japanese Curry and decorations. In synchronized harmony, the two friends started putting the groceries away. Beers in the fridge, fruit juices on the shelf. Jonouchi put the snacks which included popcorn, spicy seaweed sheets, cookies, crisps and gummy worms into separate bowls while Honda started the rice cooker and put the perfect amount of rice and water inside (it had markings on the ratio). Once he was done, Jonouchi started tidying the living room and was focused for a good while on decorations. Blowing up balloons knocked the air out of him almost a couple of times. He made it his goal to blow up all 50 of the ‘welcome back’ balloons himself, which was not the greatest idea. Honda chuckled along when he heard Jonouchi curse from the living room. In the meantime, Honda started cutting potatoes, carrots and onions for the curry. He couldn’t cook that well, but boxed japanese curry wasn’t that hard to make. 

“Honda, your phone is ringing!” Jonouchi panted out of the living room and Honda dropped the knife and rushed to the living room.

Anzu, at this hour? He wondered.

“Hello, Honda speaking. Anzu? Wait. Let me put you on speaker so Jonouchi can join as well.” Honda pressed a button on his cell phone, and Anzu’s voice was omnipresent in the living room.

“Hey Jou!” she chimed, getting an exhausted grunting noise back. She started laughing and it didn’t take long for Honda to join.

“I guess he’s blowing up balloons or something?” Anzu asked first, and then added “I couldn’t sleep, but I got your text message Honda. I can’t believe it! Atem is back, wow! I really hope I can see you all again soon. I miss you guys.” Her voice was alarmingly loud, but none of the friends cared, it was how they knew and loved Anzu. Jonouchi came close to the cell phone to make sure Anzu heard him and proudly started filling her in on details of the homecoming party. After a bit of small talk about Atem, Marik and Rishid, they inevitably switched to the topic of Yuugi and his health.

“Yuugi really wasn’t well, Anzu.” Jonouchi panted, still slightly out of breath, and Honda decided to take over.

“He was in such a bad shape yesterday morning, Anzu. We were seriously worried that he would do something bad to himself. Atem’s appearance is a gift, for real. He looks so much better already!” Anzu giggled on the other side of the line and her giggle turned into a full blown laughter, leaving Jonouchi and Honda baffled.

“Come on, that was obvious! Yuugi is so much in love with Atem, and Atem is so much in love with Yuugi. You cannot tell me you didn't know about that? Have you SEEN them when they thought no one was listening or watching?” Honda stared at Jonouchi, and Jonouchi stared at the phone. They didn’t dare to say anything, yet it kind of made sense. All of it. Yuugi’s health after Atem left. His almost impossibly quick recovery after Atem came back. Those two dorks were in love. Anzu yawned loudly and some bone cracking could be heard through the line, making the two flinch in slight disgust.

“I’m sorry guys, I think I’ll try to sleep now. I have class soon and my body is so sore still from all the dancing. I love it here, though! Let’s settle a date for a big video conference guys!” her voice started sounding a bit more washed up and Anzu really seemed tired. 

“Absolutely!” Jonouchi and Honda said in unison. They chatted for a minute more about time zones and finally hung up. Honda sighed, it was a content sigh. While Jonouchi finished up the decorations, Honda went back to the kitchen and prepared the Japanese Curry. 

“That already smells divine, Honda!” Jonouchi sniffed while walking into the kitchen. Jonouchi wanted to snatch a piece of carrot on the cutting board. His hand was violently slapped aside by Honda with a glare. 

“Don’t you dare.” he hissed mockingly.

“Hey,” Jonouchi joked “it’s not like I am reaching for your carrot bro.” Honda went pale and took a step back, covering his mouth with his hand. He turned around and gagged once, making Jonouchi laugh.

“Dude.” he started, but Honda interrupted him with a hand signal

“Jonouchi, there is a story I have to tell you. Something wild happened last night.” Jonouchi successfully snatched a piece of carrot and sat down on a stool nearby. 

“I’m all ears.”

Honda started to narrate (in vicious detail) about the incident with the younger nurse. Jonouchi tried to repress his gagging reflex a couple of times, asking a lot if Honda was alright. 

“So then, bro, I yeeted her off of me and just bailed. And this is how I discovered that I am probably gay.” Jonouchi started laughing and patted Hondaon the back, or more accurately, slapping him on the back.

“I really hope you’re gonna recover from that experience, also, no homo bro but I love you, no matter your preferences!” 

Honda smiled back at Jonouchi and thanked him with a bro-hug.

“You’re the best, Jou!” he added after the hug and Jonouchi gave him a typical thumbs up. 

They finished the preparations for the homecoming party and decided to ‘test’ if the video games worked well enough while the curry was happily cooking by itself.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the final countdown dududu duuuu dududududuuu dududu duuu..
> 
> Thanks for reading and commenting and just being yourself m'kay <3.
> 
> Xoxo Sei. <3


	26. XXVI: Last Abyss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more dive into the darkness, y'all <3

**Last Abyss**

Yuugi wanted to cry, but he was too paralyzed by his grandfather recognizing him. 

“I’m sorry for what happened yesterday, boy. I can’t remember much, but...” Sugoroku’s voice was hoarse and he sounded tired. Instead of crying Yuugi decided to smile to make his grandfather see him ‘happy’.

“It’s fine Gramps. How are you feeling?” he carefully asked, searching eye contact with the doctor a couple of times to ensure that his questions were okay to be asked. The doctor only nodded at him.

“I’m feeling alright, Yuugi. I’m sorry I made you worry. Please tell your mother that I’m going to be fine. I’m just so tired.” Every word that Sugoroku said made Yuugi’s heart lighter. He recognized him, he apologized for his weird behaviour, he even knew about his own daughter still. His grandfather was on a good way to recover.

“Then just sleep, Gramps. It’s fine, you have a lot to recover from. And there’s also something important I will want to tell you once you’re feeling better.”

Sugoroku nodded weakly, already slowly drifting into a somber state. The doctor turned towards Yuugi and faced him with a hint of worry in his eyes. He cleared his throat before trying to speak quietly enough for Yuugi’s grandfather to not wake up.

“As you see, he is recovering. Due to the intracranial bleeding, he will have to stay here at least another week, maybe even two. After that, we will be transferring him to the rehab facility. He will likely have a mostly full recovery within 2 months.” 

Atem’s face lit up once he saw his partner smiling at the doctor and gleefully nodding. In an instant, Yuugi turned towards Atem and... looked through him?

“Hey, don’t run away, I saw you!” Yuugi said, a smirk on his face. The head nurse, Atem and the doctor exchanged irritated looks. Yuugi turned to his grandfather, nodded at him and whispered a ‘get well soon’; then darted to the door, rushing out of the room. The doctor kept staring at Atem and carefully placed an unspoken question in the room.

“Is there something we should know about Mr. Mutou?” 

Atem wasn’t sure how to respond, so he stuck to the truth and started talking about his partner having hallucinations. 

“There’s an ambulant therapist on ward 23b today, if you can catch your boyfriend, maybe you two can schedule an appointment for him?” the nurse didn’t really ask as a question, but rather offered it more as a suggestion. Atem nodded, feeling insecure. He didn’t know anything about this concept of therapy, psychiatrists or anything alike. It was a rather modern invention, but he was not against it.

“He’s no-! Ah.” Atem sighed. “Yes.” he mumbled. He headed to the door, repeating himself “Yes. Yes you’re right. I should probably look out for him and see if we can do what you suggested. I’m sorry for that.” 

Atem opened the door and saw Yuugi close the door to the wards, maniacally mumbling something about a girl. As he jogged towards the ward’s doors, calling Yuugi’s name, he almost pushed over a very young looking nurse. She glanced at him and her eyes lit up.

“Dear Ra, I’m sorry for bumping into you!” he apologized and bowed lightly. The young nurse just stared at him, dumbstruck, caught in his eyes. Coming closer to his ears, she tried to seductively purr into Atem’s right ear.

“I know a way you could repay me, you know.” 

Atem jumped back two steps in shock, suppressing an embarrassed blush. “I’m sorry, I’m looking for my boyfriend.” he blurted out, not thinking about any consequences. “He just left. I don’t think I can give you what you seek, but please, accept my apologies young lady.” Not expecting an answer, Atem rushed to the door and pulled it open. He saw Yuugi on the end of the hallway, skipping and singing to... someone? Except, there was no one?

_“Please, come with me, my mommy and daddy are happy again!”_

_I asked myself why I was so intrigued on following the girl that I met just a day before. Where did she even sleep? I hope Atem wouldn’t think that I was crazy for just following her, but she seems so... alluring?_

“Yuugi! Aibou!”

_Was that Atem? He probably was still in Gramp’s room, it couldn’t be._

“Yuugi! Please wait for me! Hey!”

_I wanted to turn around, but the little girl took my hand and pulled me further through the hospital’s never ending hallways._

_“There is only you and me, and I will show you my family soon!”_ ****

_She started skipping at some point and I just joined her on it and we started singing and laughing. It felt magical._

_She started running quite fast and sometimes I felt like I was moving at lightning speed. I kept hearing a voice, I wasn’t sure if I knew that voice, but it didn’t matter, because the girl was about to show me harmony. Harmony of soul. We went down stairs. It felt like forever, until she pushed open a bunker door. There was almost no light, but she knew her way around the hospital so well._

“Aibou, please stop. Where are you...?” 

_Wanting to turn around again to locate the voice, the girl hissed at me, her face now less friendly than I remembered it. We ran through dark hallways, dark and demonic noises coming from all sides. But she was there, guiding me, like my Hikari. Where was Atem?_

_“Come, Yuugi! I want to show you my family! I gathered them all. ALL!” The little girl started laughing hysterically and I wasn’t so sure anymore if I trusted her. Trying to let go of her hand, I only noticed now that our hands were melted together. No matter how hard I tried to pull away, I couldn’t let go, our skin had fused together. I screamed, and she looked up to me, eyes pitch black, face pale and ashen, blue and red veins spreading over her face like a spiderweb._

_“Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.Welcome to my family.”_

_She kept repeating it and dragged me to one last door that said ‘Morgue’, pushing it open._

_Her manic laughter kept ringing, I felt it twitching behind my eyes as it dug deeper into me. I tried to move away, tried to get rid of her, but she only laughed and repeated, and repeated, and repeated._

_What I saw in the last room made me fall onto my knees immediately, gagging roughly and covering my mouth and my nose with my only free hand. She giggled now, ripping her hand free, dancing around me, singing to her “family”._

_“My family is so beautiful, don’t you think? Mommy, Daddy, this is Yuugi. Yuugi, Yuugi, Yuugi. You can be part of them, too!_

**_Y_ **

**_U_ **

**_U_ **

**_G_ **

**_I_ ** _.”_

_I tried to scream, tried to get up, but I couldn’t move and I couldn’t close my eyes. The scene was worse than anything I had ever witnessed. There were four people, or at least I thought there were four people, because there were four detached heads. One head was on a silver mortuary table, laying on its right cheek, staring at me in shock. It kept blinking at me and trying to speak, but no words came out. Another head was hanging from the wall next to two hanging limbs, blood and other fluids slowly dripping on the floor. The others were attached to the wall, screaming with no sound._

_The floor in front of me was covered in dark red, black, and yellow specks of fluids that I could barely imagine the sources of._

“-bou? Wh-e on Ra’s s-ny -ings di- -u -o?” 

_A voice, someone to save me. So I thought. The little girl suddenly stood in front of me and put her tiny hands around my face, motioning my face upwards._

_“No one can save you now. NO ONE. You will stay with me and my family forever. Hahahaha, where would you like to be placed?”_

_With a jolt of energy, I got up and tried to move to another corner, but I slipped on the blood and fell into it face first. Getting back on all fours, I gagged again and felt cold drips of blood landing on my head. Then I made the mistake of looking up, half a leg looking back at me._

_I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I felt a sour acid working its way up to my mouth, but nothing happened the moment it reached my mouth._

_“Leave me alone, you crazy bitch!” I yelled as loud as possible, hoping that she would just disappear. She only laughed at that, and in a second, her voice changed. A second voice spoke through her, it sounded deeper, distorted, and... satanic?_

_“But Yuugi, Yuugi, Yuugi, Yuugi. I can’t can’t can’t EVER leave leave leave leave you alone. I’m you. You are me. Me. We are one. Where you are, I am. I will always be here, as you will always be as well, as a wall decoration, ahahahahahah.”_

_“No, please, you can’t be real!” I screamed. Knees and hands soaked in blood, I tried to cower. I pulled my knees to my chest and threw my hands over my head, pushing my head down towards my chest as well. Trying to shut off everything, I heard steps approaching me. Was this how I was going to die? And what about Atem?_

“-uugi. Hey, Aibou. Look at me, are you alright?”

_She was impersonating him. With all the courage that I had, I left my position, turned around and jumped at whoever was next to me, sure that I would kill him or her._

When Atem entered the room where he heard his partner scream, he was surprised to find him in some sort of maintenance room. It was dirty, and there were oil patches on the floor. Trying not to slip (like Yuugi probably did), Atem rushed to his aibou and crouched down, not daring to touch him yet.

“Yuugi. Hey, Aibou. Look at me, are you alright?” Atem might have expected a lot of possible behaviours from Yuugi, but he did not expect a full frontal attack. Yuugi jumped at him like a vicious animal and started trying to scratch at his face. Atem was so overwhelmed, all he could do was act out of reflex. Before Yuugi reached his face, Atem let himself fall backwards, hitting his head on the floor with a grunt.

“You are her, you took Mou hitori no boku!” Yuugi’s voice was high and hysterical, and Atem was fighting with his arms to not get scratches and bruises everywhere.

“Aib-”

Yuugi broke through Atem’s weak defense and landed a flat hit on his lower jaw, making Atem howl in shock and pain. With a feral sound, Atem grabbed Yuugi’s wrists roughly, making the young man squeal on top of him, and flipped him over, pinning him down on said wrists.

“Aibou, please, come back to your senses. I’m here now. Whoever dragged you here is gone, there’s only you and me! I don’t mean you harm!” 

Yuugi was trying to wind out of the position like a snake, causing Atem to use a decent amount of force to hold him there. He placed himself on top of Yuugi’s pelvis to not get kicked and to hopefully pin him down more securely. Atem was getting desperate. He was pretty sure Yuugi had the hallucination of his life, in a negative way, but he didn’t know how to convince him that he was no threat and that it was alright.

“Leave me! You’re not him, you’re going to hurt me, LEAVE ME ALONE!” Yuugi’s voice echoed through the dimly lit basement, but only Atem could hear him.

In a desperate attempt to calm Yuugi somehow, Atem didn’t know better and leaned forwards, still holding his aibou by the wrists. Getting closer and closer, he could feel his partner’s hitched breaths and the panic that was crawling under his skin.

With a last mental push, Atem closed his eyes and pressed his lips on Yuugi’s, making Yuugi freeze on the spot. The kiss wasn’t necessarily the first kiss he would have wished to give his partner, but it was the only thing Atem’s agitated mind could think of to break him out of his madness. The squealing and wiggling stopped. Yuugi’s arms went limp, and Atem dared to let go of his bruised wrists. 

Feeling a strong blush building, Atem quickly leaned back again and got off Yuugi, putting enough distance between them, bracing himself for another attack. Yuugi sat up slowly, confused. And started crying.

“That was all a hallucination, wasn’t it?” he hiccuped between strong sobs. Atem immediately crawled over to Yuugi again, pulling him into a tight hug.

“It was, Aibou. But I’m here, I’ll protect you. You know I will.” Yuugi sniffled against Atem’s chest, a tingling sensation dancing on his lips. 

Did they just kiss? 

After a while of just sitting there and hugging (on the floor again, this time a bit more comfortable), Yuugi’s sobs started to ebb. Atem cupped Yuugi’s face with his hands and looked at him with a serious smile.

“Aibou, I think you need support to handle this. The doctor told me that there was a therapist on ward 23b today. Maybe we could talk to her?” Yuugi nodded weakly and let himself get pulled up gently by Atem. Arm in arm, they made their way to the ward 23b. 

After they rang the doorbell, Atem was asked to stay outside while Yuugi had an emergency-consultation with the head psychiatrist and the therapist. Atem paced around in front of the ward for almost an hour when the door opened and Yuugi exited the ward, exhausted, but smiling.

“I have an appointment soon, and I got medication to help them go away. I’m sorry it took so long! They also drew blood for some tests. ”

Atem had to brace himself and take a steady step back when Yuugi flopped into his arms, hugging him tightly.

“Thanks, mou hitori no boku…,” he murmured against Atems neck, making his other self break out into goosebumps, a shiver running down his spine. Atem felt a twinge in his stomach and his lower abdomen and had to suppress an ever so light moan from the sudden contact. Ruffling through his aibou’s hair, he pushed him back gently, placing a kiss on Yuugi’s forehead. 

“Mou..Mou..” and a deep red blush was the only answer Yuugi could come up with, making Atem chuckle in pleasure. Sharply inhaling and trying to calm his nerves, Yuugi’s eyes caught Atem’s. Purple and crimson looked at each other and they both felt something weird happening. What was that feeling just now? 

“Can we please just go home and relax before the party?” Yuugi’s begging made Atem’s funky sensations flare up again and he felt something twitch in his pants. 

Turning around quickly, he hummed in agreement. Leaving the hospital, Yuugi found himself having hope for his happiness for the first time in a long time.

“Hey, Atem?” Yuugi started, glancing at his partner from the side.

“Mhh?” Atem hummed, raising an eyebrow at his partner. 

“I think I -”

A curse escaped Yuugi’s lips as he jumped at the sound of his cell phone ringtone, blasting, way too loud. 

“It’s Mum. I think I should try to fill her in on everything.” The rest of the way home was Atem just walking next to Yuugi who was vividly arguing with his mother about Gramps, that one Egyptian friend that suddenly lives with them and other more random topics.

Atem just kept watching his aibou, a content smile on his face and... Butterflies in his stomach?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter title only, nani the f**k?
> 
> Thanks for reading <3
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.


	27. XXVII: Unfair Fight & Couch Potatoes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the last three chapters.
> 
> I'm very happy for everyone who was sticking around and providing me constant support.
> 
> Thank you all,
> 
> enjoy the ride <3

**Unfair Fight**

The first time the doorbell to Honda’s house rang, it was 7 minutes to 7pm. Jonouchi and Honda were both in the kitchen, sorting out the last of the food and drinks. They put several bowls and chopsticks as well as glasses and cups neatly arranged on the counter, so everyone could serve themselves.

Honda opened the door and waved at Mokuba, who was standing in front of someone.

“Kaiba?” even Honda had to slightly look up to Kaiba, and was expecting an insult or anything as hello. None of that happened. Kaiba just nodded, a strangely earnest look on his face, but it was not malicious. Honda motioned to allow him to step inside, and they both got rid of their shoes before entering.

“Honda! It smells amazing here! Is that curry?” Mokuba tilted his head up and took a couple of sniffs, his nostrils vibrating in sync with his sniffs. Honda made a noise of approval and opened his mouth to reply, but Jonouchi came jumping at Mokuba from around the corner, oblivious of Kaiba’s presence.

“Yooooo, kiddo! How are ya?” He pulled Mokuba into a headlock and rubbed his hair viciously, earning giggles and pokes from Mokuba. 

“I didn’t know you two were best friends now.” Seto’s voice was just like always: rather monotone and sharp like daggers. Jonouchi flinched, letting go of Mokuba while glaring at Kaiba. Mokuba wanted to turn to Seto and protest, but his brother already started chuckling in a way they usually never heard. Everyone just stared at Kaiba and didn’t really know how to react to that... friendly chuckle?

“Do you guys want something to drink? We’ve got beer..” Honda tried carefully, then looked at Mokuba and snorted “We also got fruit juice and soda.” 

“Beer.” Kaiba said, and once again everyone just looked at him rather irritated. Jonouchi led the two guests to the living room and motioned them to sit down, which they did. Honda arrived with a beer and some soda that Mokuba greatly appreciated, when the phone in his pocket vibrated.

_ Hey, Marik and I will be coming with Otogi like 30 minutes later, there was a small accident at the café Otogi works (and it includes a crying child and ice cream, haha!) - Ryou _

“Ryou will be coming with Marik and Otogi, but they’ll be a bit la-” Honda jumped when the text message he read was replaced with his phone viciously vibrating in his hand.

“Hey, Yu.. Atem! What’s up? You still have my old flip phone, I see.” Jonouchi instinctively turned his head towards Honda, trying to repress the constant feeling of worry he had about Yuugi. Honda started laughing and made a waving gesture.

“Don’t sweat it! See you in a bit.” he answered to the person on the other side of the phone and hung up. Still laughing, he turned around to face the rest and relayed that Yuugi and Atem fell asleep on the couch and would be a bit late. 

“Hey, Honda,” Mokuba blurted “can you, like, show me the apartment? I’ve never been here and it honestly looks so cool!” 

Honda’s eyes lit up and he looked at Jonouchi, who nodded in agreement. Seto didn’t say anything, but Mokuba also didn’t ask for his permission or anything. Honda and Mokuba left the room and were soon being heard from the kitchen, talking about food, furniture and other stuff. That only left Seto Kaiba and Jonouchi Katsuya in the living room. Jonouchi looked at the TV, a paused beat-em up game still on the screen, and almost darted off the couch when he felt Seto Kaiba suddenly sit down next to him, taking one of the controllers.

“Let me beat your ass in this game as well, so you can feel bad about being worse than Seto Kaiba in more than one game.” Seto stated, and Jonouchi felt his stomach twist, not sure if it was in anticipation or something else. He grabbed the other controller and unpaused the game. The fight began. Jonouchi started rather well, almost winning the round, but Kaiba had an amazing comeback using a finisher and ended up winning the first round.

“I’ll make you kiss my ass, Kaiba!” Jonouchi snarled at Kaiba, who was tensing up rather unnaturally besides him. 

“We’ll see about that, puppy.” Kaiba muttered, a teasing tone clear in his voice. Jonouchi reddened at Seto’s statement and they started hammering on their controllers again. When Seto won the second round, Jonouchi jumped up and almost knocked the beers from the table, making Seto hiss at him and shove him back roughly.

“You can be shit in a game, but don’t you dare make my beer fall over.”

_ “Woooow. Yeah dude, you’re right, I can see it!”  _ Mokuba was heard from the balcony and Honda was laughing.

Jonouchi only grunted and sat down again when they started the third round of fighting. Changing characters, Jonouchi was sure he would win that one. But oh was he wrong. The round started off fairly well, and while he started imitating the movements of his little character on screen, he casually bumped into Seto’s shoulder, but Kaiba didn’t move away. 

Only a couple of seconds later, it was obvious that Kaiba took his favourite character and was not holding back, so Jonouchi tried more unfair methods. He started bumping into Kaiba’s shoulder a bit stronger, but Seto was so focused on the screen and on beating Jonouchi’s butt in a game, that he stayed rather still. 

Okay, cheating it was. Jonouchi flicked his hand against Seto’s controller, making him and his character stir.

“Hey! Stop cheating!” Seto growled, but that didn’t stop Jonouchi. He flicked at the controller again. Seto was not playing those kinds of games and held his pad up, making Jonouchi hit nothing but air and a part of Kaiba’s shirt. 

This wasn’t about the game anymore, this was about getting the controller out of Kaiba’s hands. With a swift hand movement, Jonouchi tried to bash both the controllers together, but Kaiba was quick and raised his arms a bit to the left, making his opponent miss again. An annoyed and angry noise came out of his mouth, and in the heat of the moment, Jonouchi threw himself onto Kaiba. 

Seto Kaiba expected a lot of things to go wrong this evening, but he did not expect being crushed by a muscular mass of weight on top of him to be one of them. One controller was now on the floor, and it wasn’t Kaiba’s. The game’s music kept playing, and the beers thankfully did not get knocked over. But Jonouchi was laying on Kaiba and Kaiba was not sure how to act, so he tried playing it cool.

“You lost anyway, puppy. Now get off of me!” Seto’s voice sounded more stressed than he wanted it to sound but he wasn’t a quitter. He still held his arms up with the controller in his hands. Jonouchi was not having it and continued reaching for Kaiba’s hands. Kaiba was not used to physical touch at all, and he wasn’t sure if the burning sensation from Jonouchi’s hands slowly making their way up to his hands was a good or a bad thing.

“Seto, what on earth is going on here?” Mokuba shrieked, shielding his eyes in shame. Only then Seto and Jonouchi realized the situation they were in. This was not how Seto usually acted and it was not how Jonouchi usually acted as well. 

Honda just snorted behind Mokuba and shook his head. 

“Get off of me, now!” Seto’s voice was back to being sharp as a razor blade, and it sounded even more threatening than Jonouchi could remember. Crawling back, Jonouchi looked at Seto and accidentally slid his leg along Kaiba’s crotch. Mokuba nor Honda could see, but Jonouchi saw that Seto’s mouth opened slightly in shock and before his eyes widened, they almost rolled upwards. Jonouchi didn’t want to gamble for his life, even though his deck relied on gamble luck, and he sat back up as quickly as possible. Kaiba also sat up, clearing his throat. He looked down, grabbed his beer and held it in his hands without taking a sip.

“Jonouchi got absolutely obliterated in this game. Wow, Kaiba! I didn’t know you had it in you.” Honda exclaimed, seeing the death counter and the round they were already in.

Kaiba huffed, trying to cover the slight blush and conflicted feelings he felt. He hated Jonouchi with every fiber of his being. He was a broke low-life and yet... this was entertaining?

“Of course I beat him. He sucks at any kind of game.”

“Oh you only wait, Kaiba!” Jonouchi stomped one leg on the floor out of anger. Mokuba and Honda were both just trying to hold back laughter from all the bickering Seto and Jonouchi did. Honda checked his phone for the time, and at that moment the doorbell rang three times in a row.

* * *

** Couch Potatoes **

“It’s so good to be home again!” Yuugi said, locking the door of the Game Shop and making his way up the stairs. Atem followed him closely behind, feeling fatigued from everything that happened. It hurt to see someone you... like... suffer and not be themselves. All he wanted was for Yuugi to be happy, and he could never provide that beforehand. They went into the apartment, and Yuugi aimed for the kitchen, leaving his other self behind. Atem heard alien noises from the kitchen and didn’t really know what to do with himself until Yuugi came out again, smiling.

“I’m gonna make that tea that you promised!” he giggled, and Atem bit his lip trying to hold back a smile. He failed miserably, and started chuckling along with Yuugi’s giggles. Atem checked the clock on the wall and noticed that they had at least three more hours until they had to at Honda’s place. Maybe he could just take a nap beforehand. Wishful thinking. 

“Aibou, I -”

“How about we relax on the couch a bit and I show you my newest video games? We can also talk about the afterlife if you want, I’m curious about what you did there!” As Atem expected, that nap was going to be wishful thinking. He only nodded at his partner and made his way towards the living room, a quick detour to the bathroom to wash his hands (that’s what he had been taught by modern ages). He then took a seat on the couch while Yuugi went back into the kitchen again to get the tea he prepared. 

A lot of thoughts circled through Atem’s mind, but most of them were focused on his Aibou. Did he not remember the kiss? And what was that feeling he got in his stomach? Atem tried to imagine Yuugi visualized in his head. His stature was more fragile than his, he looked so different from Atem, even Atem’s hair was almost ten times as wild with the little strands flying everywhere. Atem closed his eyes and visualized Yuugi’s eyes specifically. His heart started beating faster and he felt his breath accelerating. Something between his legs felt twitchy and his stomach made somersaults, but the good kind. Yuugi’s eyes were a sight to get lost in.

“Hey, already asleep, mou hitori no boku?” Atem’s eyes popped open and Yuugi’s eyes were right in front of him. His darker purple shade was so unique, and the saying that eyes were the window to a person’s soul never had been truer. Atem just stared at Yuugi and felt his heart beating against his chest and hammering up to his throat.

“Are you alright?” Yuugi asked, voicing his concerns. Atem’s mouth snapped close - he had not even noticed it was slightly ajar - and finally registered that Yuugi was holding two cups of tea in his hands. 

“I’m... fine, Aibou” he stuttered, reaching out for the cup that Yuugi was offering. Yuugi placed himself next to Atem on the couch and leaned back, slowly sipping his tea, then hissing at it. Of course it was still too hot.

“It’s a tea called Genmaicha. The actual temperature for it to brew isn’t as high as regular tea. It’s green tea that has roasted rice in it, it’s really nice!” Atem nodded along and tried a sip of his tea. It tasted like a faint mixture between fish, roasted rice and popcorn. Atem’s face scrunched up in displeasure.

“It takes a while to get used to.” Yuugi smiled and put his tea on the coffee table in front of the couch. Atem did the same, not daring to take another sip for now. Yuugi turned towards Atem, his eyes sparkling joy and curiosity.

“Tell me about Egypt! Or more, about the afterlife, how was it, what did you do?”

Atem closed his eyes and tried to memorize everything. Then he started telling Yuugi about his duties as Pharaoh, about his friends, his family, his servants and chambers. People said he was a weird Pharaoh, since he was all for ‘equality’ and treated his servants more like his friends. 

“I prayed to every god that was important enough to have their own temple. I really wanted to see you again. I felt like we didn’t really have the chance to properly say goodbye. I... broke my promise, Aibou... I said I would stay with you forever. It ate me away each day.” Yuugi blinked away unfallen tears and turned his head away.

“I couldn’t even think of that.” he answered, his voice a bit weaker than usual. “I was so consumed by your absence, I forgot about that promise. And also! H… hey?”

Yuugi saw that Atem’s eyes went dull and empty for a second, before tears started slowly forming on the inner corner of his eyes. Atem quickly turned away and wiped his face.

“I just got something in my eye..” he mumbled, sniffling.

“Sure you do, Atem.” Yuugi stated sarcastically, and huddled closer to Atem. He stroked his hand over Atem’s back gently and tried to make soothing noises, but quickly felt silly doing so. Atem was not a child and he was not a mother. Instead Yuugi huddled even closer and hugged Atem from behind. His other self stopped moving (and probably breathing) and went stiff. Yuugi broke the hug and turned away himself. They didn’t speak and didn’t face each other. Atem was still struggling with not crying and Yuugi started realizing why he felt so devastated without the Pharaoh. Whenever he thought about him, he felt tingling sensations through all his body. His hands started sweating thinking about the impulsive hug he just gave Atem and his heart felt like it was in palpitations. Yuugi’s head felt clouded, and there was a whole hoard of butterflies in his stomach, making adrenaline shoot through every fiber of his body. There was a lump of heat forming between Yuugi’s legs and he tried to shuffle it away by repeatedly tapping his feet on the floor, legs restless. Atem turned back towards Yuugi. 

“I’m sorry, Aibou. I’m not sure why whenever you touch me I tense up like this, I don’t know what’s happening to me. I’m so happy to be back and to be with you. Promise, I’ll try my best to keep the promise now!” Atem’s voice was shaking, as if he was holding back feelings and tears. Yuugi also turned around, placing himself uncomfortably on the couch to hide the fact he was almost having a hard on thinking about Atem and just smiled at his other self.

“Mou hitori no boku... It’s fine, really. I couldn’t be happier that you are here now.” Yuugi answered, blushing at Atem’s words, “I understand if you’re uncomfortable being touched by me, I mean, we did share a body and-” Atem huffed loudly to interrupt his partner and Yuugi held his breath in confusion.

“That’s not it, Aibou, not at all.” he sighed. “I think I like your touch too much and I’m scared of what it will do to me.” The last words were mere whispers and Atem blushed, but not as hard as Yuugi did. Blood rushed to both their faces, but due to the fact that Yuugi was much paler, Atem couldn’t help himself but chuckle at Yuugi’s beet red face.

Pulling himself together, Yuugi got up and placed himself in front of Atem, hoping he wouldn’t notice his little problem between his legs. Atem looked up and gulped.

“Yuugi? What’s up?” 

“Just.. Don’t be afraid of my touch, okay?”

Atem nodded, scared of what was to come, and Yuugi slowly leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Atem’s forehead. Atem’s eyes widened, but he didn’t freeze or tense up that much anymore.

“Let’s take it slow, mou hitori no boku.” Yuugi grinned at Atem, and before Atem could react, Yuugi was sitting next to him again, TV remote in his hand. Turning the TV on, he wanted to show Atem his newest game. Atem’s body was overreacting the moment Yuugi’s lips touched his forehead. He wanted to rip the clothing off of Yuugi’s skin and savour his taste, feel his skin, his body inside out. Take it slow, Atem thought, and stared at the TV screen for distraction, pulling his legs close to his body to hide that in fact, he felt his crotch pulsating with desire. 

Somehow they ended up getting caught on a documentary about rainforests, and Atem made a weak move by putting his head on Yuugi’s shoulder. Yuugi reacted by resting his head on Atem’s. 

Quickly enough, both drifted away. 

After a rather long while, an explosion made Yuugi flinch and open his eyes. Atem and Yuugi were found almost on top of each other on the couch in a cuddling position. Atem was still sound asleep half on the couch and the other half on top of his aibou. Yuugi started stroking his hair and neck, noticing the war documentary on the TV. 

“That’s where the sound came from...” he mumbled, and Atem started stirring in his sleep. Yuugi reached out for his phone, carefully trying to not wake up Atem who was a rather clingy sleeper.

“SHIT, ATEM. WAKE UP!” Yuugi’s voice was loud and agitated, making Atem sit up in one rush, holding his head and blinking to not black out.

“What’s wrong, Aibou?” Atem’s voice was a bit groggy but alarmed nonetheless.

“We’re going to be late for your homecoming party, it’s 7pm already!”

“Oh for Ra’s sake.” Atem sighed and jumped. “You get ready, I’ll call Honda with his flip phone. Don’t ask me why he has his own number on it, but I know he does. Sometimes I ask myself how many phones he owns?”

“Why do you have...? I’m not even going to ask.” Yuugi rushed into the bathroom and Atem heard weak cursing almost certainly directed at a brush while he was dialing Honda.

“Hey Honda!” Atem’s voice sounded calm and controlled, but he surely wasn’t. He hated being late.

_ “Hey, Yu.. Atem! What’s up? You still have my old flip phone, I see.” _

“Yes, seemingly I do, I intend to bring it back with me. Look, Yuugi and I fell asleep on the couch, we’re going to be on our way in a minute. I’m sorry for the inconvenience!”

_ “Don’t sweat it! See you in a bit”  _

After Yuugi was done, Atem decided to take a quick trip to the bathroom to tame his wild hair, which did not work out. In godspeed, they both left the house only a couple of minutes later, making their way to Honda’s place.

**  
**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3-2-1 and we're done.
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.
> 
> Ah, THANKS FOR READING OFC!


	28. XXVIII: Shots fired

**Shots fired**

The second time Honda’s doorbell rang, it was close to 7:45pm. Jonouchi took the lead and went to open up while Mokuba and Honda were playing games on the console. Kaiba just sat next to them, silently sipping on his second beer.

Opening the door, Jonouchi was greeted by Otogi, Ryou and Marik, all smiling brightly. 

“Hey Jou!” Otogi almost sang, while being motioned inside by Jonouchi.

“Yo Otogi, long time no see! Come one in guys!”

“Rishid isn’t coming tonight, he said he didn’t feel too well…” Marik announced, and Jonouchi nodded understandingly.

The three took off their shoes and waddled inside, Marik carrying a big white box, balancing it dangerously while taking his boots off. Jonouchi tilted his head and looked at the box, frowning at it.

“And what might that be?” he taunted with a grin. Marik smirked and handed Jonouchi over the box.

“It’s a cake! Ryou showed me this amazing bakery and we got a custom made cake that says welcome home! I hope this isn’t too much!”

Jonouchi’s eyes lit up in joy and he nodded. He then proceeded to carry the box into the kitchen, guarding it like a fragile egg. Marik, Otogi and Ryou made their way into the living room in the meantime. Honda and Mokuba were so involved in the game, that they both only took a glance at the newly arrived people. Yelling a ‘hello’ in unison, Kaiba also looked at the three guys standing there, looking for places to sit. 

“Hi.” Seto’s voice was not giving away any possible emotion, but it wasn’t like it was to be expected. Ryou sat on the ground, next to the coffee table and Marik took a seat next to Kaiba, not caring about the bad aura that surrounded the tall CEO. Otogi placed himself next to Honda, already intrigued by the game they were playing.

Jonouchi entered the living room, balancing beers and fruit juice like tetris blocks stacked in front of him. His fall was almost inevitable, yet he managed to carry everything to the couch before stumbling, falling right over Kaiba and dropping the drinks on Marik.

“Argh, I’m sorry guys!” Jonouchi laughed, scratching the back of his head after he got up and saw that Marik desperately cling to the drinks while Kaiba only glared at him, pissed. Marik made an approving sound and took one of the beers on his lap. Ryou went for apricot-peach juice. Otogi didn’t take anything yet.

The third time Honda’s doorbell rang, it was past 8 pm and everyone was either observing the gameplay or playing themselves, changing controllers here and there; even Kaiba joined in!

Yuugi and Atem both seemed rather stressed, but when Honda laughed and said “relax, guys!” he could actually feel the stress slowly leaving their bodies. 

Arriving in the living room after being invited in, everyone was caught off guard by Atem’s presence. The game was immediately paused and Otogi jumped up to crash Atem into a hug and welcome him in the modern world. Atem smiled and hugged Otogi back, saying that he was happy to be here.

“Look at you, damn. Your look is amazing, also, damn I never imagined you with this skin color!” Otogi laughed while releasing the hug. With a big smirk Atem mumbled something about not having thought of it himself until he was actually back in the afterlife.

Honda came out of the kitchen and looked at everyone expectantly, earning confused stares.

“The food is ready, come to the kitchen and serve yourself!” was all Honda needed to say to make everyone hop up and storm to the kitchen. Except Atem and Kaiba. Atem still stood at the entrance of the living room and Kaiba was sitting on the couch, tapping his nails on the beer bottle.

“So, Kaiba...” Atem started, trying to find anything to say to his ‘rival’. Kaiba didn’t let Atem find any adequate question, and looked at him, a grim expression on his face.

“Pharaoh.” 

“Atem, please. I’m no longer a Pharaoh in those realms.”

“Also you were a shit Pharaoh anyway.”

“Debatable. What are you on about?” Atem raised an eyebrow and thought about just leaving Kaiba to pout or mourn or whatever on Ra’s beak he was doing. Kaiba started tapping on his beer faster and wiggled his leg nervously.

“Do me a favour… Atem” Kaiba tried, his voice no longer as sharp as it normally was “Apologize to Yuugi for me at some point.”

Atem choked on his own spit out of shock and coughed a couple of times, holding his hand in front of his mouth, not really knowing how to answer anything that Kaiba just said. Atem had seen him weak, seen him fragile, and seen him losing. But he did not expect something like worry or FEELINGS to come out of the cold-hearted person in front of him.

_ “Seto, Atem, do you want curry too?” _ Mokuba’s voice rang out of the kitchen. Seto rolled his eyes and grunted almost unoticably.

“Sure, why not?” he answered to his brother, looking up to Atem with a question on his lips. Atem nodded as answer, showing Kaiba his approval.

Everyone came back, carrying one or two bowls of curry, and they all sat around the coffee table, eating Honda’s boxed curry. It was truly delicious, and the rice was on point. Complimenting Honda’s cooking skills, even Seto Kaiba went for seconds, and after a fulfilling meal, they all just sat around the table chatting about Atem’s arrival (which he didn’t completely reveal, nor did Kaiba).

When Kaiba brought the dishes into the kitchen, much to the surprise of everyone, Honda pulled out a white marker board from under the couch.

“It’s tournament time!” he grinned, and everyone looked at him suspiciously. 

“We’re going to take turns on that new beat-em up game. The winner has to take a shot everytime they win a round” He exclaimed, still smirking weirdly. Shots was Jonouchi’s code word, and he rushed into the kitchen, only to almost bump into Kaiba again.

“F... Sorry, Kaiba.” he cursed, annoyed that he ALWAYS had to crash or bump into Kaiba, like he was a magnet or something.

“Mh.” Seto answered, putting down the dishes into the sink and turning around. “It’s fine.”

“Excuse me, what? Did you just say it’s fucking fine? Are you that drunk already?” Jonouchi’s eyes were wide open and he was not sure if he imagined Kaiba saying that or not.

“No, I had two beers. The day I get drunk on two beers is the day my whiskey collection at home cries at me.” Was Kaiba just joking? But his words were so dry?

“Ah, ha. Probably you’re an alcoholic already and can take one shot or the other in the tournament.” Jonouchi felt like that was too much and Kaiba would hit him in the face straight. He flinched back a bit when he noticed Kaiba was moving towards him and closed his eyes, bracing for an impact. Nothing happened. Jonouchi opened his eyes again to see Kaiba standing right in front of him, looking down.

“I didn’t think Jonouchi Katsuya would joke about alcoholics.” 

Ouch, that hurt. Jonouchi took a step to the side and turned away, growling lightly. He didn’t even think about his own father at any point, but Kaiba knew how to scratch at one’s sanity. 

Seto Kaiba didn’t let him get away with that and grabbed Jonouchi’s face around the chin roughly with one hand, basically holding on to the sides of his jaw, turning Jonouchi’s face towards his. They both stared at each other, though one of them looked scared and the other one smirked. Only Kaiba could do that kind of smirk, and if Jonouchi was honest, he kind of liked it. Kaiba put his face dangerously close to Jonouchi’s.

“Maybe I’ll make you kiss my ass at that game, so I can get enough shots down to endure your presence, puppy.” he hissed. It sounded more than a teasing hiss than a threatening one. With that, Kaiba let Jonouchi go and made his way back to the living room.

Jonouchi Katsuya stood in the kitchen, unable to move for a couple of seconds, re-playing the scene in his head that just happened. Did Kaiba just…? No, he would never.

In an unnecessary rush, Jonouchi gathered the shot glasses and some raspberry liquor. He also took some raspberry juice to make Mokuba not feel left out. Returning to the living room, Honda drew a very accurate tournament plan on the white board with a black whiteboard marker. 

“Hey, are you alright Jonouchi? You’re blushing!” Otogi asked, and Jonouchi blushed even more, waving it off, saying that he was fine.

The tournament bracket was the following:

Atem vs Mokuba, Honda vs Marik, Jonouchi vs Yuugi, Seto vs Otogi. Ryou did not want to participate but rather be the coordinator of the leaderboard.

Honda poured some shots and lined them up, making sure to also have some non-alcoholic raspberry shots for Mokuba lined up below them. Everyone made themselves comfortable, though Atem did not really look that comfortable. He sat in front of the coffee table, Yuugi next to him, quietly asking if he was alright.

“It’s gonna be fine, Aibou. I just didn’t drink much as Pharaoh.” he mumbled back. Marik handed Atem and Mokuba controllers and the game began.

The first round started off almost equal, and it was by sheer luck and random button smashing that Atem won against Mokuba. Mokuba laughed at his defeat, while Seto only grumbled something about disappointment.

“Atem, your shot!” Jonouchi yelled and handed Atem a shot glass, filled it to the brim. Atem eyed it, slightly scared of its taste and took a good sniff. It smelled alright, and he would be lying if he said he never drank in his time as Pharaoh.

“Here goes nothing.” Atem muttered and downed the shot in one go, not even flinching once. Yuugi stared at his other self, astonished by the fact he could down a shot without flinching once.

“Boy, Atem, dude. Egypt must have taught you how to drink, holy shit.” Jonouchi exclaimed, making everyone except Kaiba join in an unison laughter (though Kaiba did smirk a bit). The tournament went on.

In the second round, Marik lost against Honda and laughed it off by saying that he wasn’t used to playing games at all, occupying himself only with translations and research all day long. Honda coughed down the shot which made Jonouchi snort, who of course, lost against the King of Games in the round after. 

Yuugi gagged after he downed the shot and scrunched up his face, making Ryou laugh.

“Oh, then I want to see your face when you down one!” Yuugi said, already feeling lightheaded and handed one over to Ryou. Declining at first, Ryou was peer pressured into taking at least one shot, so he did. As he downed the liquor, he turned his head to the side and coughed while holding his hand in front of his mouth, repressing an urge to gag.

Everyone laughed at Ryou and handed him another shot, this time only being raspberry juice, not liquor.

The next round was rather unspectacular. It took Seto Kaiba not more than 15 seconds to completely obliterate Otogi, and he also didn’t flinch at the shot. The losers of the rounds were fighting now, and shots were downed.

Atem won against Honda without much effort, downing his second shot, feeling a slight burn in his throat that he could easily brush off. He did, however, feel the alcohol arriving in his head though.

The fight between Seto and Yuugi was rather spectacular and dragged on for a long time. Both smashed buttons based on sheer muscle memory. Maybe due to his two beers and his two shots, Yuugi was able to deliver Kaiba the last blow, winning by a hair’s breadth. Snarling and putting his controller down, Kaiba got up.

“I’m leaving.” his voice sounded low and threatening. Kaiba walked out, not looking at anyone. The group tried to convince him to stay and to not be such a mood killer, but there was no use. In unbeatable speed he put on his shoes and slammed the door behind him. Jonouchi rushed up, and Honda grabbed him by the wrist.

“Leave him be, Jou..” he sighed, but Jonouchi was not letting himself be convinced by Honda’s words. 

“I just want to make sure he actually leaves.” Jonouchi laughed and tried to catch up with Kaiba stomping down some stairs, using the method of only slipping into his sneakers and not actually wearing them. Soon after, a car was heard, but Jonouchi did not return for the night.

The final battle. Yuugi against Atem. It was only a game after all, right?

_ Yuugi won. A close call, but he won. And suddenly, everything went dark except for the light of the TV. Atem had to leave again. Yuugi won again. Is this how it would all end? _

_ “I’m sorry, aibou. You won. I have to leave you...” Atem sighed. _

_ “No, no, no. Atem you can’t leave me again!”  _

_ “Then why did you beat me?” _

“Yuugi? Yuugi I can’t fight you if you don’t move your character. That would be unfair.” Atem poked his partner’s rib, making Yuugi snap back into reality and shake his head to clear his blurry vision.

“Sorry, mou hitori no boku. I was distracted! Let me break your in-game spine.” Yuugi faked his enthusiasm. 

The last fight started. Yuugi and Atem’s characters were mostly avoiding each other on the screen. Atem suddenly stopped as well. He felt a vivid and painful flashback about the ceremonial duel flush into his brain. His head felt foggy and he felt an uneasiness creeping up his body into his head.

“I don’t think this was a good idea...” 

Yuugi mumbled something and put the controller down, crawling closer to Atem. 

“Atem, mou hitori no boku, are you mocking me?” Yuugi asked with a tremendous amount of worry in his shining eyes. Atem tilted his head into Yuugi’s direction, but the gaze went straight through him. He was shivering. Atem was shivering. Yuugi knew exactly what this was and did not hesitate to put his arms around his other self in front of everybody. 

Starting to rock back and forth slowly, Yuugi held Atem close and tried to calm him by brushing his fingers through his hair.

“It’s fine, mou hitori no boku, we’re not going to be apart again.” he whispered into Atem’s ear. Everyone thankfully understood the situation and refrained from intervening.

After a good while, Atem calmed down and could sit straight again. The anxious fit Atem experienced from before was quiet, and Yuugi was going to memorize that. He imagined how many times Atem was close to panic or fear and just remained quiet, except for the shivering. The shivering gave it away.

“Thank you… Aibou. Really.” he sighed, straightening his back, surprising his liver with a shot of raspberry juice.

“I’m sorry I made you guys do this...” Honda mumbled, feeling guilty. Yuugi waved his hands in defense and explained that it was alright and no one expected that.

Otogi slowly got up and tried to sneak into the kitchen, but Marik noticed and followed him. Mokuba turned the game and the TV off and they decided to listen to Mokuba talking about a new game that was going to be released in the following year. It was top secret information, but maybe, just maybe Mokuba had one shot that was not raspberry juice and really liked to talk.

Yuugi turned towards the couch, only to see it almost empty. Mokuba was still speaking, but Otogi and Marik were gone.

“Where di-”

Not being able to finish his sentence, Yuugi was now staring at a big purple cake on a plate that was being balanced by Marik. At least Marik knew how to handle fragile things with care, Ryou thought and almost blushed at his own thought. 

The cake made Yuugi and Atem’s eyes and minds overflow with joy. It was a layered cake, wrapped in purple fondant with a rather large dark magician figure on it.

“Mahad would love it.” Atem cackled, and turned over to look at his partner, who was smiling right back at him.

“But you haven’t seen the best of it!” Otogi exclaimed, pulling a lighter out of his pocket.

No one expected (except for Ryou, Marik and Otogi) the dark magician’s rod to start sparkling and shooting out flickering beams of sparks once Otogi lit it. It was a spectacle to look at and almost brought tears of joy into Yuugi’s eyes.

Once the sparkling slowly ebbed down and eventually faded, Honda pulled both Yuugi and Atem up and into a hug at once.

“I’m so happy things turned out this way. We were truly worried about you Yuugi and we missed you dearly Atem. Here’s to another chance at life!” 

Mokuba, Marik, Ryou and Otogi cheered for Honda’s tiny speech and joined the group hug, squishing Yuugi and Atem closely in the middle. Yuugi heard a sniffle and was almost forced into rubbing his cheek against Atem’s, caused by the sheer force of the others. He felt something wet on his cheek and then on his mouth. Salty. Atem was the one sniffling, silently shedding tears. Chuckling at Atem’s probably alcohol-induced emotional outbreak, Yuugi hugged his other self tightly with one arm, the other arm around Honda.

After a good while, the cake was getting more tempting than an eternal hug and everyone got a piece, devouring it.

“I’m not sure if I’ve ever had cake, but Ra forbid, this sinful treat is delightful!” Atem’s eyes sparkled with pleasure at the taste of the sugar, more sugar and even more sugar. Honda checked his phone and saw that Jonouchi texted him

_ I’m trying to calm Kaiba down, he seemed very upset. Be back later or see ya tomorrow, save me a piece of cake. Brohug - Jou _

“Jou won’t be coming back tonight,” Honda yawned “I’ll wrap him up a piece for tomorrow and I’ll give you one for Kaiba as well, Mokuba.” 

Mokuba nodded enthusiastically. The evening dragged on, and even though Atem and Yuugi both felt content, something gnawed on their subconcious. 

Around 11 pm, Mokuba wanted to leave since he was worried about Kaiba and was rather tired from the past few days, being a temporary CEO and all. Otogi offered to accompany him home for safety reasons. Shortly after, Marik and Ryou left together, Ryou not heading towards his apartment.

“Thanks so much for this, Honda. The food, the drinks, the snacks, the decoration. It was perfect. Whatever might happen, I will treasure this memory forever in my heart.” Atem always had a way to pinpoint his feelings perfectly. Yuugi helped Honda tidy the kitchen while Atem started gathering empty beer bottles and other stuff around the living room.

It was past midnight when they finished everything, and with another big hug, Yuugi and Atem left Honda’s apartment.

They walked home in complete silence, both busy and trapped within their thoughts and feelings. Yuugi reached out for Atem’s hand. Their hands locked.

Atem felt his breath hitch for a second and his heart fall into his pants. A whole party of sparkling feelings vibrated in his body and he never felt so complete. The thought of holding Yuugi’s hand made him feel warm, it made him feel... loved? He wasn’t capable of thinking straight but he knew something, his feelings for Yuugi were more than regular friendship. He was dead in love with the boy who once only was named ‘vessel’.

Yuugi on the other hand was already past the point of confessing to himself that he had feelings for Atem. He reached out for Atem’s hand to make the first step, to prepare for what was maybe to come. His hand was slippery and he felt an anxious kind of sweat build up on his forehead. His heart was viciously hammering against his chest. Atem was the only one he ever felt those kinds of feelings. If this was love, then it was the best and worst feeling on the entire planet. And Yuugi wouldn’t want to change it for anything.

**  
**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second last chapter is done! Wow, this has been a journey, WOHO.
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3 and thank you so much for still reading, get ready for the last one °-°!


	29. XXIX: Irregular Beats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my lord, y'all. This is it. This is the final chapter.
> 
> Just.. enjoy the ride.

**Irregular Beats**

As Atem and Yuugi entered the shop, they were welcomed by a comfortable silence. They didn’t speak much, both went on with their necessities and just enjoyed each other’s presence. Yuugi rushed into the kitchen to make another tea with his fancy new tea-brewer while Atem took a long shower and got into some cozy black tight sweatpants and a loose black t-shirt that Yuugi gave him. Once Atem was done, it was Yuugi’s turn to take a shower and Atem’s turn to almost panic while trying to find out how the tea-brewer functioned. It started beeping wildly, and Atem didn’t know which button to press, so he pressed all, making it beep even more. To think that an ancient Pharaoh who was very much used to hieroglyphs could not figure out instructional symbols next to the buttons was a highly entertaining thought, or at least it was to Yuugi when he arrived in the kitchen to find a very stressed Atem. 

Yuugi laughed out loud, wearing light grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt (his only white t-shirt), and helped his other self figure out the alien machine.

“Look, when it beeps, you just press the button on the very left. It means the tea is ready.” Yuugi explained, Atem soaked up any information he was being given. He would have figured it out by the next time as he was a quick learner.

“This does not smell like the tea before that was... special? What was it called again. Genmaicha?” Atem inhaled the scent of the tea in his hands and decided that it resembled a sweeter fruit. Yuugi smiled.

“You’re right. Don’t tell Gramps or my mother, they will kill me. This is a cheap kind of tea - plum and vanilla. People don’t drink impure teas like that around here, but I just really like it!” Taking a sip, Yuugi closed his eyes and sighed lightly, making Atem’s eyes automatically wander to his aibou’s pinkish lips. They looked so soft, Atem thought to himself. He also wondered what they would feel like, because the kiss in the basement was so rushed and impulsive that he didn’t have the time to savour the texture and taste of his partner. He really would like too, and he couldn’t make his mind up why. Atem never felt this way.

Yuugi dragged Atem out of his thoughts by clearing his throat. Atem shook his head to clear up and looked into Yuugi’s eyes, almost losing it again.

“What are you looking at...m...mou hitori no boku?” Yuugi stuttered, blushing at the intense stare that he received from Atem’s attentive eyes. 

His other self’s eyes widened and he turned his head to the side, staring into nothingness.

“Nothing. I’m sorry, Aibou” Atem did not sound convincing at all, but Yuugi decided to not pry further on the subject. Yuugi kept staring back at Atem, even though his other self was clearly avoiding eye contact. He never really noticed the defined jawline that Atem had. 

“You’re so unnaturally handsome...” Yuugi mumbled. Realizing that he was thinking out loud again, he immediately held his breath and slapped his free hand over his mouth, staring at Atem and praying to wherever that his other self did not hear that. 

But he did. 

Atem’s head turned back, almost in slow-motion, and he just looked at his partner, dumbstruck, mouth open in surprise. Was he going to say something about that? He probably should.

“I appreciate your honesty, Aibou. I would be lying if I said you weren’t handsome in an almost unbelievable way.” Atem’s words were not spoken in his usual manner. He didn’t sound strong, he didn’t sound confident. His voice was quiet, but it sounded honest. It did not matter, Yuugi could just drown in Atem’s voice any way it was. The deep humming sound when he spoke, no matter the level of confidence. Was there anything about Atem he did not absolutely adore?

Yuugi wasn’t able to answer, his face reddened up on the spot, and both of them awkwardly just stood there, with their tea, avoiding each other's eyes until Yuugi snapped, and his brave self took over for a short time.

“You know what? First of all...” the brave self was gone again, and Yuugi started to stutter and search for words, failing miserably. He did not give up though.

“Thank you for your compliment. Atem, I.. I...” Atem looked back at Yuugi, a curious but reluctant expression on his face. He crossed his arms, making sure to not spill any of his plum-vanilla tea. Yuugi took a step forward and put his free hand on Atem’s crossed arms. His other self flinched.

“I think we need to talk. You were and are my other me. Mou hitori no boku. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable, and I don’t want to feel uncomfortable as well. I -” This was all that Yuugi managed to bring out before he felt his face heat up under his skin. He was on fire, but it was like burning alive never felt so right. The next words were incoherent and Atem couldn’t for the love of Ra figure out what Yuugi wanted to tell him. With every new attempt, Yuugi got more frustrated about whatever he was trying to say until the frustration took over. The hand that rested on Atem’s crossed arms tightened its grip, dragging his other self towards the couch in the living room. Atem sat down, utterly confused and convinced that he did something wrong. Yuugi turned away and sighed, clearly annoyed at himself. 

“Aibou! Please tell me if I did something wrong! I don’t want to -”

“No, no, no. No Atem, you did not. I’m just... Let me...” Yuugi took a seat on the couch next to Atem, leaving a reasonable amount of space. He put his tea on a dark brown coffee table, and Atem followed Yuugi’s movement and placed his own cup on the table as well.

So, who was going to start this much needed ‘talk’?

On one side of the couch was Atem. His mind was peculiarly searching through every memory of the past day. He did a lot of things wrong, and he did some things right. His mind wandered back to finding his partner in the bathtub, still severely anxious at the picture that visualized in front of him. He thought about how happy he had seen Yuugi after their first actual conversation that was a fight. He thought about seeing Yuugi naked. There were so many mixed feelings and happenings in only one day that Atem felt more conflicted than settled on the reasonings of him returning. 

Atem thought back to Nut and Geb, to Osiris, and even further back to his time in the afterlife. It was horrible, he would lie if he said otherwise. Of course meeting his family and friends was a pleasure, but it did nothing against the pain of separation. Passing the gate to the afterlife was the second worst thing he had done in the modern world. The worst thing was not being honest to Yuugi about his feelings. It started rather early on. Before the whole Seal of Orichalcos. It seemed like Atem was just being overprotective, and he probably was for a good while. But right before he lost Yuugi’s soul, he started not caring about getting his own memories. He started to want to have his own body in the modern time. Whenever he observed Yuugi doing things, no matter how irrelevant they were, the ancient Pharaoh started to feel a mixture of feelings. Hot, nervous, flustered, proud. Some nights, when he guarded his aibou while he slept, he wished he could touch him, cuddle up to him, anything. 

After the ceremonial duel, it took Atem every fiber of his body to sound strong, to not break down crying and beg the gods to stay. Now he was back, with his own body, and he could finally do all the things he wished to. If only he was brave enough.

On the other side of the couch was Yuugi. His mind was having trouble grasping any coherent concepts for months now. When he wished for a friend years ago, he didn’t expect to find someone who made him fall in love so rapidly. It started after Duelist Kingdom, and even though Yuugi might have had a crush on Anzu at some point, his heart exclusively beat for his new friend ‘Yami’. He forgave Atem for playing the Seal, yet it also made him feel betrayed, as if Atem chose the Seal over his own partner. Atem wasn’t himself back then, and even though it still hurt to think about it, he could leave that incident in the past and move on. When the ceremonial duel dawned on them, after the journey into memory world, Yuugi felt the first panic and anxiety attacks crawling up. He blocked all mental channels he had with Atem, reasoning about how it was important to have space and time to himself to prepare for the duel, when in fact it was only time to mourn about having to lose a friend and crush. He wanted to give up the duel, he wanted to lose, but he couldn’t. He gave it his all, he forgot that it meant goodbye, and then Atem left. Yuugi’s whole world and sanity left with his other self. Playing it tough, wearing a mask of replaceable emotions was how Yuugi dealt with Atem’s absence. Sometimes he talked to an invisible puzzle, tried to reach through a mindlink. It remained silent until the first hallucinations started after only a couple of weeks of being in solitude - at least inside Yuugi’s head. The will to live started dying down like a burning candle. After his grandfather’s accident just a couple of days ago, that was the last breeze it needed to blow the candle out.

Then Atem came, and saved him. The person he loved. Sure, their first conversation wasn’t really pleasant, but who was Yuugi to blame Atem for the way he reacted. 

Yuugi tried to frantically think about his last two days with Atem, when he suddenly froze in shock, vaguely remembering something. Did Atem kiss him yesterday?

“So?” hesitation was heard in Atem’s only spoken word.

Being pulled out of his thoughts roughly, Yuugi didn’t have the capacity to stop himself from blurting out the question that kept circling around his mind now.

“Did you kiss me yesterday?” 

Yuugi’s question remained unanswered for a good while. Atem did not move or breathe. 

“Yes, I mean, no. It was the only thing I-” Atem’s voice was agitated and his speech pressured. He was clearly trying to deny something.

“Did. You. Kiss. Me?” Yuugi repeated, not exactly sure where he got his sudden courage from. Atem stayed silent, looking around the room to try to find any excuse. He couldn’t, so he decided to be honest.

“Yes.” 

“What?” Maybe he misunderstood

“I said YES.”

“But… why?” His courage was completely crushed.

“Because it was the only thing I could think of to calm you down. You were being rather persistent.” Atem’s words turned cold and emotionless, making Yuugi’s anxiety spike.

“Ah. I barely can remember anything about it. Wish I could, though.” Yuugi smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head while trying to make his statement as sarcastic as possible.

Maybe Atem was bad at detecting sarcasm. Maybe Atem didn’t want to detect sarcasm. Maybe Atem saw this as the chance he had been waiting for. None of it mattered when his body almost moved on its own.

In the blink of an eye, Atem was right next to Yuugi. Gently lifting Yuugi’s chin with his thumb and index finger, Atem moved his Aibou’s face towards his own. The tips of their noses almost touched, and Yuugi held his breath in shock.

Atems hands were shaking. His heart was racing, but Yuugi trembled stronger, eyes wide open in fear. Yuugi could feel Atem’s warm breath on his skin.

“Let me help you remember then, Aibou.”

Time froze around the two young men on the couch. Atem tilted his head every so slightly and closed the remaining gap between him and Yuugi. 

He brushed Yuugi’s lips and snapped back when he heard his Aibou gasp and pull his head back a bit. A chuckle escaped Atem’s lips, and he pulled Yuugi’s face closer, finally sealing their lips in a light kiss. With his eyes closed, Atem did not see how Yuugi’s eyes ripped open more. 

Yuugi quickly obeyed his inner instincts, closed his eyes, and only a couple of seconds after Atem’s lips were on his, his right hand made its way to the back of Atem’s head.

Atem let go of Yuugi’s chin and let himself be dragged into a deeper kiss. Their lips started moving slowly, and the kiss started becoming alive, sparking fire in both of their stomachs. It was a bit sloppy and it probably wasn’t very skilled, but neither of them cared. Yuugi was surprised by the versatility that Atem’s lips had. They were firm in their actions, yet they were the softest sensation his own lips ever had the pleasure to feel.

Atem could not help but release a soft moan against Yugi's mouth. Finding a harmonic rhythm, the kiss started becoming more intense.

Yuugi made a mistake. 

He bit Atem’s lower lip, not thinking about the consequences.

Atem’s lower abdomen flaring up and in a needy impulse he moved Yuugi onto his back by gently pushing against his shoulders. He followed Yuugi’s fall, landing on top of him, supporting himself on his hands.

The kiss broke, and both of them gasped for air. 

“Mou hitori no.. I didn’t r-” Yuugi wasn’t allowed to say anything else, even if he would have tried. Atem lowered his head and their lips crashed again, this time less careful, less gentle. 

Between all the heated kissing that turned more sloppy as their lips were moisturized by the constant movement.

Yuugi made a second mistake.

Mid-kiss his lungs yearned for air, and he opened his mouth slightly to inhale, not wanting to stop feeling Atem’s lips on his. Atem couldn’t possibly have misunderstood his partner’s actions, but his instinct took the upper hand.

The moment Yuugi’s mouth was ajar, Atem slid his tongue across Yuugi’s bottom lip. Yuugi groaned in pleasure, a second later surprised by the noise he accidentally made. Atem retreated his tongue, scared that he might have upset his partner. Then again, he was lying on top of him, their crotches touched, and Yuugi just groaned. A noise that Atem never thought he’d have the luck to hear, but definitely wanted to hear more of. He shoved away the thoughts about being scared and hesitantly slipped his tongue between Yuugi’s lips. 

Yuugi’s lips parted more than the last time, and Atem pushed his tongue slowly further until it stroked against an unknown texture. Before being able to think about what it was and maybe reconsider his actions, Yuugi’s tongue lashed out in repressed passion and circled around Atem’s. Slowly, carefully, but not any less intense than expected. If Atem’s eyes would not have been closed, he would have rolled them so hard that he probably might have seen the upper part inside his own eye sockets. Atem wasn’t able to hold back the growling sound that rumbled from the back of his throat and started moving his tongue counter directive to Yuugi’s. They circled around a couple of times, sometimes changing pace and pressure. Atem’s head felt like it was wrapped in cotton and he couldn’t make a single coherent thought. He couldn’t even explain why he had the audacity to kiss Yuugi again. While their tongues were still dancing around, Atem suddenly froze and stopped. He opened his eyes and almost launched back in a jump. 

Yuugi sat up, looking at his other self, feeling an incredible heat crawling along his skin. Then he realized the situation as well and started blushing furiously. His cheeks went from rose to tomato and he couldn’t do more but stare at Atem. 

Atem started cursing in ancient Egyptian and Yuugi couldn’t make out one word. Mid-curse, Atem jumped back at Yuugi and grabbed him by the shoulders. 

“Mou hitori... I... Why... What.?”

“Shut up!” Atem yelled at Yuugi, and his partner wasn’t sure how to respond to that, a confused look spread along with the massive blush.

“For Ra’s forbidden fuck’s sake!” he cursed, this time not in Egyptian anymore, and Yuugi’s jaw dropped at Atem’s loose mouth.

“Aibou, Ra forbid, I love you. I can’t keep this in anymore. You make me feel things, things I have never felt before. I’m sorry.”

Silence.

Atem’s closed his eyes and sighed, a complete spectrum of emotions rummaging through his brain. He heard Yuugi sniff and he heard him shuffle. He wanted to open his eyes but Yuugi had already jumped at Atem, pressing his whole body weight into his other self, sobbing loudly.

“I love you too Atem. I have for so long.” he managed to get out while hugging Atem tight and burying his head into mou hitori no boku’s shoulder.

“Aibou...” Atem whispered and hugged Yuugi back tightly, pulling him so close he could hear his own and his partner’s heart hammering. 

Yuugi started placing a trail of pecks along Atem’s neck, then worked his way up to his jawline, making his other self moan quietly at every placed kiss. The hug got looser, but the tension between them did not. From the jawline, Yuugi made his way painfully slowly to Atem’s lips, causing his other self to tremble in anticipation.

He broke Atem’s patience, for the first time. 

In a rough motion, Atem grabbed Yuugi’s jaw with one hand and started a rather aggressive kiss. He shoved his tongue into Yuugi’s mouth, exploring every inch of it, savouring his Aibou’s taste. In an instinctual move, Yuugi grabbed Atem by the fabric of his t-shirt and pulled him forwards, causing Atem to let loose of his aibou’s jaw and crawl on top of Yuugi for a second time. 

This time, there was no shame, there were no repressed feelings. There was only raw emotion. It felt like a curtain had dropped down, and even without any mind link, they felt each other’s emotions amplify with every passing second.

Atem did not plan to be lying on Yuugi again. He removed his lips from his partner’s, a sheer string of saliva hanging between them for a split second and earned a displeased grunt from Yuugi. Atem smirked. Then he moved backwards, got in a sitting position and pulled his aibou up and on his lap. This way Yuugi appeared taller and had to bend his back to reach down to Atem’s lips, which he did not hesitate to do. 

Yuugi put his hands left and right on the back of the couch and started to lead the next kiss. It was profoundly more wet and soundly, causing Yuugi to moan loudly against Atem’s mouth.

The new heart that Atem had been given had a lot to deal with until now, and this was no exception. He was sure his heart skipped a beat when he heard his aibou moan so loud and without any restraint. Atem put his hands on the sides of Yuugi’s hips and slid them under the white t-shirt. On an unexpected impulse, Atem thrusted his hips upwards only once, hitting a sensitive spot. Yuugi broke the kiss at once, arched his back and threw his head back, letting out another moan, more desperate than the one before.

“A… Atem” he stuttered, looking down at his other self, a rose blush covering his face “Can we.. slow...down... Please?” He hoped that Atem would understand. Yuugi wasn’t used to any of the things they just did, and he wanted to be in a better mental state to give Atem his all.

Atem didn’t look or feel offended, for he understood completely what his partner meant. He would lie if he said he wouldn’t want to eat Yuugi alive right now, but he knew better than to just push something just for sexual pleasure.

Clearing his throat, Atem placed a soft last kiss on Yuugi’s lips and pulled him into an embrace. Wanting to move Yuugi from his lap, his aibou didn’t budge.

“Aibou?” Atem was irritated at Yuugi’s persistence to not move away from him.

“Did all of this just happen, Atem?” Yuugi asked, hesitantly looking down to Atem. “This wasn’t a hallucination, was it?” Atem chuckled and pitied Yuugi for thinking that this could have been a hallucination. Deciding to answer in his own way, Atem started moving and got up, lifting Yuugi up and grabbing him around his upper thighs, just under his butt. He proceeded to carry Yuugi through the apartment, managing to turn off all the lights and eventually landed in his partner's room. **.**

With a grunt, Yuugi landed on the bed, and Atem let himself fall onto the bed next to his aibou, turning onto his side to face Yuugi.Yuugi also turned to look at Atem.

“Yuugi? Aibou?” Atem’s voice hummed with every word and Yuugi felt a shiver going down his spine.

“Yes...?” anxiety kicked in and Yuugi thought that maybe Atem would say it was all just a joke or he would disappear in the next blinks.

“I have something to confess.” where Atem used to have the strong voice of a ruling Pharaoh, he now sounded like a shy kid that had to confess eating all the forbidden candies. 

“Mh?” Feeling anxious sweat to form on his forehead, Yuugi’s emotions went on a rollercoaster that made him feel motion sick.

“I... When we shared a body still, I... I always wanted to be able to touch you. Can we… cuddle? Or is that too much?”

Yuugi started laughing. He laughed until his belly hurt and he had to move onto his back, leaving a very puzzled Atem staring at him.

“Mou hitori no boku! We just kissed, like... you know! Of course we can cuddle, I would beg you for it!” Yuugi went mute. Did he just say that he would beg Atem for cuddles?

Atem smirked. A tease, his aibou.

“I’m curious to find out what I can make you beg for in the future.” he taunted, and Yuugi gulped. It was Atem’s turn to laugh now, and Yuugi was amazed at the loud and strong sound Atem’s actual laugh had. He probably just fell in love again for another fifty lifetimes. Yuugi turned back to his side to see a slightly blushing Atem looking back at him, eyes full with affection and passion. With an embarrassed groan, Atem turned to the back and spread his arms out, looking like a starfish.

“This is utterly embarrassing, Aibou.” Yuugi giggled at Atem’s remark and wiggled closer. He placed his head half on Atem’s shoulder, half on his upper arm and threw his free arm around Atem’s chest. 

His other self sucked in air in surprise and didn’t move for a good while.

“Maybe you could also cuddle me back?” Yuugi tried, knowing exactly how he was teasing his other self. Atem snorted and moved the arm where Yuugi halfway was lying on around his aibou’s back, hand landing on Yuugi’s side. 

Atem turned his head when he felt their legs entwine. He placed a gentle kiss on Yuugi’s forehead.

“I really do love you, Aibou. I also called you my boyfriend at the hospital..” he mumbled, feeling the ‘new body new life’ fatigue kick in. Yuugi blushed again and snorted at the same time. He rubbed his head against Atem’s shoulder for comfort while his legs tried to desperately wind around his other self’s.

“I really do love you too, mou hitori no boku.” Yuugi still felt insecure casually speaking his feelings out loud, but he was drunk on love and didn’t care. Atem fell asleep rather quickly, Yuugi in his arms, a content smile on his face. Yuugi caught himself thinking for quite a while until he fell asleep, inhaling Atem’s scent like a drug.

_ If anyone asked me three days ago what my goal in life was, I would have said a miracle or death. Almost losing my grandfather, my life turned to its absolute lowest low. Every day I missed mou hitori no boku more and I felt my strands of left sanity snap like twigs. I was resilient to help, I did not want any, I just wanted to suffer, to hurt myself. _

_ If Atem never came, I would not be alive anymore. I owe him my life, yet again. He saved me so many times; it is barely possible to imagine that I am his light and not the other way around. _

_ So here we are. Alive. Both of us. Happy. I love him so much. I can’t wait to get proper treatment and feel more stable, but with my Atem at my side, everything will be easier. I’m thankful that my grandfather is expected to recover, slowly but steadily. My friends are there to support me at any given moment. I really must thank them and ask for forgiveness. _

“Please stay at my side forever, Atem. I love you.” 

Yuugi fell asleep in Atem’s arms and dreamt of them observing the milky way together on a warm summer night while laying in the grass together, cuddling.

_The next morning_

“Oh my GOD, YUUGI. WHY IS THERE ANOTHER MAN IN YOUR BED?”

Yuugi jerked up at the same time Atem did and stared at the door, where his mother was standing, suitcase in her hand.

**He would have to explain a lot now, would he not?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you. Thank YOU, yes, I MEAN YOU reading this! You just finished Halyein, achievement unlocked - traumatised forever. I kid. 
> 
> I really hope you all had a blast reading this as much as I had a blast testing the waters of writing fan fiction!
> 
> Again, thanks so much to the artists, the wonderful betas, and everyone who kept me going, and THANK YOU for reading so eagerly!
> 
> Xoxo Sei <3.

**Author's Note:**

> I want to take this space here to thank my two amazing and stunning betas! They are truly the best!
> 
> [Pants (bewdofchaos)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bewdofchaos/pseuds/bewdofchaos) \- Thank you, like, just, thank you. You are without a doubt one of the most helpful, skilled and understanding human beings that I've had the pleasure to come across! You kept working through all my unholy bullcrap and only had nice and constructive criticism left. You are truly a gem and make my life better <3\. Without you, this fic wouldn't be able to exist in its form, and only because of your outstanding work as a beta am I even able to post this with a good feeling. THANK YOU <3!
> 
> [Cleopatra (empressofthelight)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/empressofthelight/pseuds/Cleopatra) \- Queen! Thank you so much for helping out to get things straight, but I mainly need to thank you for your constant push (in the absolute best way!) and your ability to slap sense and motivation into me and my writing insecurities. Without you and your endless support and kind words (and your outstanding enthusiasm!), I would never have been able to finish this in time <3.


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